Cleveland Wedding Planner - Shi Shi Events Wedding Planning & Design

Oscar de la Renta Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 23:58:00 +0000

Oscar de la Renta, a man who's name is synonymous with what it means to dress like a lady, passed away at the age of 82 yesterday. In honor of his legacy we would like to share some of our most favorite of his designs.

The First Ladies

Oscar de la Renta has dressed every First Lady the United States has seen since Jackie Kennedy. Even though he scolded her for wearing a J. Crew sweater to Buckingham Palace, First Lady Michelle Obama finally wore one of his gowns at a White House cocktail party earlier this month. We loved it.

The Celebrity Brides

Many a celebrity has chosen Oscar de la Renta for her wedding day (Kate Bosworth wore two!) but we're most taken with his most recent design for the new Mrs. Clooney, Amal Alamuddin; so classically beautiful, so very perfect.

The Sarah Jessica Parker

SJP a style icon of her own can never do wrong in our eyes, but some of our favorite looks of hers both on and off screen have been courtesy of Oscar de la Renta.

Fashion magnate. Cultural icon. Design legend. Mr. de la Renta you will be missed.

Cleveland Wedding Planner | Golden Woodland Winter Wedding | Featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 19:13:00 +0000

We are so honored to be featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs today for the sparkly rustic wedding we designed for Kelsey & Matt! Kelsey & Matt were married in January and wanted a golden woodland vibe which their venue, The Club at Hillbrook, lent itself perfectly to. We used elements like gilded pinecones at each place setting to hold guests' place cards, shimmery gold striped linens, and uber-textured florals to complete the cozy winter look. And we were so happy Kelsey took our advice and worked her heirloom fur over her wedding gown - she looks stunning doesn't she? For the full feature on Elizabeth Anne Designs click here and check out a few of our favorite images from Lane Baldwin Photography below:

Cleveland Wedding Planner | Easy DIY Holiday Garland

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 18:16:00 +0000

Our easy DIY holiday garland is the perfect way to dress up your mantel, holiday party, or wedding! We love how festive and sparkly it is! You can choose any phrase you'd like - we loved "all is merry & bright" for the Christmas season. Here's what you'll need to complete the project:

> Photoshop or any word processing program with fun fonts
> Printer with plain paper for creating letter stencils
> Card stock for creating garland letters (we chose a sparkly red sold in 12"x12" sheets)
> Pencil or pen
> Scissors
> Ribbon (any width/fabric - we chose a super thin double face satin)
> Permanent glue dots
> Large flat surface on which to work

STEP 1: Create Your Letter Stencils

Once you've chosen your phrase and font use your printer to individually print each letter you'll need. Our tallest letters are about 5" H and our widest letters are about 4" W to give you a gauge. Use your ruler tool in whatever program you use to help you keep your letter sizes consistent. Print the letters on plain printer paper then use your scissors to cut them out. Your end result should look something like this:

STEP 2: Create Your Card Stock Letters

Use the letter stencils you just created to trace and cut out your card stock letters for your garland. Use the back of your card stock to trace the letters. You'll want the pretty side of the card stock to be the face of your garland. Flip your letter stencils over before tracing so they're backwards on the card stock when you trace them. This way, they'll be facing the right direction once they're cut. Here's what this step looked like for us:

STEP 3: Cut Out Your Card Stock Letters

We chose a super scripty font for our letters so cutting them out, both for the stencils and garland letters, was time consuming. If you choose a block font it will be a much easier project! It's helpful to cut around each letter first so you can work with them individually and you're not having to hold the entire 12"x12" sheet of card stock while cutting. It's also easier to maneuver your scissors around the curves of each letter this way. Be careful not to cut through the thin areas of the letters or you'll have to redo them. We definitely had a couple to redo! After your letters are cut, lay them out in your phrase and make any necessary edits. We chose to trim the left side of our "l"s after seeing the completed letters all together.

STEP 4: Attach Your Letters To Ribbon

Now you want to cut a length of ribbon long enough to accommodate your phrase plus some generous extra on each end for hanging. Flip your card stock letters over and place a glue dot (or two or three whatever you find you need) at the top of each letter then press the ribbon to the letter. Check after each letter placement that your letters are hanging the way you'd like. Space your words evenly along the ribbon.

STEP 5: Hang Garland

You're all done! Now all you have to do is find the perfect spot to hang your garland! We chose over the mantel and tied the garland ends to our curtain rods. Here's our final result:

From all of us here at Shi Shi to all of you - we wish you a holiday season that is merry & bright.

Joy & peace,

Gina Shi Shi

Cleveland Wedding Planner | 2013 {so far} in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 18:15:00 +0000

What…a whirlwind 2013 has been so far. As I sit watching the snow fall on this chilly November afternoon while I prep for the year's final weddings, I thought we'd do a little recap of all the year has given us. It's been one of excitement and growth for sure filled with stellar brides & grooms with whom we loved planning & designing. We've had a few awesome photo shoots, and even had a little time to sneak in some travel. Yes, 2013's been good to us. I promise you full features to come on many of these highlights, but for now, here's a sneak peek at what we've been up to all year.

Spring brought photo shoots! We LOVE photo shoots! We designed & styled this emerald, Art Deco shoot for Style Unveiled in honor of Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year.

We styled this Garden Party shoot for the lovely ladies at Something White Bridal for their spring/summer Lookbook. It was also featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs!

Becky & Brock's Regal Tudor Arms wedding kicked off our wedding season in glamorous style. We loved the enormity of Becky's gown and the clouds of baby's breath that decorated the space. And we can't forget the 100+ gilded pears we created for them!

Terri & Ben's 78th Street Studios wedding brought a super fun, super huge build for the Shi Shi team. We created a 16' x16' dance canopy for them with ribbon, fabric, and light. It was so exciting to see it come to life!

Sting performed in June at the famed Ravinia Festival just outside of Chicago - so we thought why not? Ravinia is fantastic venue; absolutely love it there. And Sting, well how can you beat Sting?

Anna & Marty's wedding at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel brought this sparkly design and a packed dance floor all night.

We celebrated the 4th of July in NYC watching the incredible Macy's fireworks and eating banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery.

And we can't wait to bring you photos from the pros from our August and after weddings that include this deliciousness:

Our iPhone pics just don't do this eye candy justice, but full posts with pro images to follow we promise!

We also squeezed one more warm weather getaway into the mix at the end of September to Charleston, SC and Isle of Palms where we explored the history, ate like kings, and lounged on the beach. It was heaven!

To all of you who have been a part of this year, we are so grateful and appreciative of the work you do for us and our couples. To all of our 2013 couples, it's been a blast! And to 2013, thank you for blessing us with more joy, excitement, and creativity than we could have imagined. Can't wait to see what the holiday season brings!

Cleveland Wedding Planner | Garden Party Inspiration | Featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 20:10:00 +0000

Earlier this year, we had the privilege of styling a shoot for a super cool lookbook for our girls at Something White Bridal. You can check out the whole lookbook at ISSUU for an overload of wedding deliciousness!

Our feature was "Graceful Garden Party" and with the help of the wonderful Molly Taylor Designs, Borrow Rentals, Main Street Cupcakes, and Borrowed & Blue, here's what we turned out all captured by the ever so talented Arielle Doneson Photography.

Turns out the ladies at Elizabeth Anne Designs loved the look too & featured the shoot here! We were thrilled to be a part of such a fun project!

Cleveland Wedding Planner | Great Rainy Day Wedding Photo Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:43:00 +0000

It's a rainy June day here in CLE, and let's get real, dodgy weather is a fact of life here in NE Ohio. No matter how well you've planned your wedding day, weather is just one of those things outside of your control. So when it's time to talk wedding photo locations we always work out a plan B for our girls. Here are some of my favorite go-to rainy day photo tips!

#1. MAXIMIZE YOUR VENUE
Sure your reception space is gorgeous and you've dressed it to the 9's, but what about the rest of your venue? There's almost always a spot or two that wouldn't stick out at first glance as the perfect photo location, but always look again. That gorgeous front window of your church - turns out there's a hallway in front of it perfect for photos. The stairwell connecting the ballroom with your getting ready room - awesome lighting. Or the lobby bar where you hung out as a couple before getting engaged - ideal for images with sentimentality. I promise you, if you look, your venue has a ton of hidden photo opportunities waiting to be discovered.

Photo: Z Media

Photo: Steven Mastroianni Photography

#2. USE YOUR SURROUNDINGS

A random rain cloud catch you off guard or en route to your planned outdoor photo spot? Check out what's nearby. Is there a cool little coffee shop or storefront that wouldn't mind the bride & groom popping in for a photo op? Are there any architecturally interesting buildings with covered entrances you could cuddle under? What about a public use space like a museum or gallery? Some indoor locations will require an advance use permit and time allocation along with a fee, but others like ice cream parlors, coffee shops, bookstores and the like will probably be open to the impromptu shoot. Even better if you send them some of the photos afterward as a thank you!

Photo: Z Media

Photo: Steven Mastroianni Photography

#3. GRAB AN UMBRELLA & GET OUT THERE

Now we realize this isn't always an option if we're talking monsoon-esque downpour, but most of the time a little rain actually lends a bit of romanticism to your photos. A bride, a groom & an umbrella can be photo magic. You might just end up with some super sweet shots like these.

Photo: Z Media

Photo: LCD Photography

So don't let a rainy day get you down; if you can't beat 'em join 'em, right? Have a plan B, roll with the punches, and your wedding day photos will turn out smashingly.

Cleveland Wedding Planner | Becky & Brock | Tudor Arms Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 31 May 2013 20:29:00 +0000

Becky & Brock were married on an early April evening at the Tudor Arms Hotel. One of our favorite Cleveland venues, the Tudor Arms never disappoints in grandeur or service. Talk about a fairytale wedding - clouds of baby's breath hovering high above guest dinner tables, a gorgeous dress, and a palette of champagne, gold, and white! Here's your Friday afternoon eye candy courtesy of Chris & Julie First of Z Media.

Want an experience like Becky & Brock? Here's their experience essentials list:

Venue: Tudor Arms Hotel

Planning, Design & Lighting: Shi Shi Events

Photography: Z Media

Floral: Vase to Vase

Cake: Cake Couture

Rentals: Event Source

Stationery: Paper Trails

Cleveland Wedding Planner | Kate & Marty | Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:17:00 +0000

Kate & Marty were married in December just before the New Year holiday. Kate wanted a textural, organic feel to the wedding that was still polished and elegant. What we dreamed up with HeatherLily resulted in some of our favorite florals {especially the bride's bouquet!} ever. Take a look at the sheer loveliness of their day captured by Chris & Julie First of Z Media.

Want an experience like Kate & Marty's? Here's their experience essentials list:

Planning, Design, & Lighting: Shi Shi Events

Venue: Renaissance Cleveland Hotel

Photography: Z Media

Floral: HeatherLily

Rentals: Event Source

Cleveland Wedding Planner | Gold & Glam Wedding Inspiration | Featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:56:00 +0000

It's the last official day of winter and we're capping the season with a look back at our Gold & Glam inspiration shoot featured on New Year's Day on Elizabeth Anne Designs. Here's a look at our favorite, previously unreleased images from the fantastically talented Arielle Doneson.

Glidden House's blue entry door kills me every time - I never stop falling in love with it.

This place setting design is one of my all time favorites! The Cake Vintage Table & Home, Kitchen Papers placemats in gold chevron add the perfect layer of texture.

Blooms spray painted boxwood sprigs gold for us which we tied to the black taffeta napkins along with each guest's place card.

Our dessert spread included mini lemon squares, snowflake iced sugar cookies, and chevron macarons from Luna Bakery & Cafe and a super sharp patterned cake from Cake Couture. We added champagne splits with tags encouraging guests to "Make Merry!" and white chocolate truffles topped with edible gold leaf.

Luna Bakery Cafe also provided mini cupcakes and snowball cookies. We added hot toddies rimmed in gold luster dust and topped with cinnamon sticks and lemon peel twists to the mix.

Had to sneak in a couple more shots of those macarons! The chevron detail adds such a festive, fun touch to these delicious little treats! Don't you agree?

We hope your winter was wonderful and we're looking forward to all spring holds in store! Feel inspired by our Gold & Glam shoot? Here's our list of experience essentials:

Shoot Concept & Styling: Shi Shi Events
Photography: Arielle Doneson Photography
Venue: Glidden House
Floral: Blooms by Plantscaping
Cake: Cake Couture
Desserts: Luna Bakery Cafe
Placemats: Cake Vintage Table & Home
Linen: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental
Rentals: Event Source
Paper Products: Paper Trails

Cleveland Wedding Planner - Thandi & Adam's Private Estate Wedding Featured in The Knot Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:13:00 +0000

Thandi & Adam are one of my all time favorite couples, and their wedding is one of my all time favorite designs, so it goes without saying I was beyond thrilled when it was selected for editorial feature in The Knot Ohio's Spring/Summer 2013 issue! Thandi came to me with the desire to create a wedding that was polished but not fussy, romantic but a little edgy, and that altogether felt Midsummer Night's Dream inspired. We had an absolute blast working with her, Adam and their family to bring their day to life - here's what The Knot fell in love with:

Here are some of my favorite images of the day courtesy of Z Media:

Still obsessed with Thandi's necklace - stunning!

The team at HeatherLily couldn't have done a more perfect job with the flowers; from the bouquets, to the cocktail arrangements and tabletop decor, to the leafy branches adorning the tent's center poles, it was all spectacular. We chose a mix of peonies, roses, sweet peas, dahlias, and orchids all in varying shades of pink {with the exception of the bride's bouquet} as our floral mix.

The cocktail hour took place around the pool and outside of the family's pool house. HeatherLily created custom lounge furniture for the occasion. Guests snacked on chorizo corn dogs and a mini picnic station among other bites of deliciousness from Marigold Catering.

I had been dying to use this eclectic mix of china on a tabletop and was over the moon excited when Thandi gave me the go ahead! I absolutely love the combination of black, gold, white, and glass, so elegant and regal yet so inviting.

Custom place cards and bar by HeatherLily - love!

All of the food at the wedding was beautiful, but my favorite course was this intermezzo of sorbet served inside an orange we dreamed up!

A rustic dessert display lent a fun natural element to the coffee station.

Lighting really does make the mood. Between the chandeliers and glass orbs lit with candles hanging from the trees outside the tent and branches accenting the tent poles from HeatherLily, to the pink wash and spotlights from the Shi Shi Events' team, Thandi & Adam nailed it. They had all of the elements they needed to set the tone for a most romantic, enchanted evening - and that is was!

Some of Thandi & Adam's wedding elements may look familiar as you may have seen them on Style Me Pretty, or on the pages of The Knot Ohio's Fall/Winter 2012 issue when they asked me to dish some wedding planning & design tips.

Merry & Bright

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:11:00 +0000

This Christmas season has found me doing my usual running, wrapping, decorating, and baking (a lot!). My Shi Shi team has been BUSY too as I'm sure all of you have been! Our busyness involved putting the final touches on our two December weddings; one of which you saw a sneak peek of in all its sparkling glory last week and another we are anxiously awaiting on the 29th! Yay F&D and K&M!!!

We also designed and styled a Gold & Glam inspiration shoot; coming soon to an awesome blog you all know and love - eyes open for it New Year's Day! We delivered a bit of holiday deliciousness to some of our favorite vendor partners, & amid all that I've been trying to soak up as much of the season as I can with the ones I love. {This may or may not have included a holiday lights tour by trolley, a Cavs win!!!!! over the Lakers with my brother, &some serious time in the kitchen baking cookies with family.}.

All of that has left me little time to chat with all of you, but I hope you've been filling your days with much of the same; finding time in the madness to slow down a bit, get cozy with a movie or by the fire, or to just enjoy the fact that it has finally SNOWED! {Not even gonna lie, I'm super thrilled to have snow before Christmas!}

From my home to you and yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with many days that are merry & bright.

Much love, peace & joy to you all.

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Wanderlust

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 04:10:00 +0000

Sometimes I feel a little guilty for not blogging more about weddings and wedding related paraphernalia here, as many of my posts are more about lifestyle, design, fashion, beauty, or musings on whatever's circling this brain of mine at the time than our most recent wedding, or tips for planning your wedding, or wedding anything really. Yes, I am a wedding planner & designer, and yes you can see some of my work here on this blog {or on other fun time blogs like Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, The Bridal Bar, and Style Unveiled, etc.}. But where I come from as a wedding planner & designer is so much more than just what is implied in my official title of "Founder + Director". I want you to see my work {for lots of it visit the Shi Shi Anthology}, but more importantly I want you to get to know me, because I'm not really sure there are many other businesses that are as personal as wedding planning. And while it's important to be professional {this is a business}, it's equally important - if not more so - to connect with you on a personal level {because that's where the magic happens; cliche, but also totally true}. So if you ever wonder why I don't publish post after post of our recent weddings, that's why. I hope it helps you feel a part of my world and that you'll like it here and want to stay awhile. Today, we're talking about travel.

For me, travel is the one thing that is fundamental to the broadening of one's mind. It is in my opinion the best way to become; become inspired, become carefree, become an advocate, become yourself again, become a new version of yourself. It is everything. And I've traveled...a lot. I've taken well planned out trips, spur of the moment adventures, planes, boats, cars, trains, and buses to get to all kinds of little nooks in this beautiful world of ours. Many of the memories that fill my heart the most happened while I was traveling somewhere with someone {or many someones} I love. All my life though, I've dreamed of taking a few weeks off and traveling cross country {for real in a car, road trip style} with my love just doing as we please. As luck would have it, I'm about to do just that. Three weeks, just us. No email. No work. Just us, this gorgeous country of ours and a couple of suitcases; I can't believe it. It's still so surreal to me that as my bag sits packed and ready in our bedroom, I don't think it'll actually feel real until we're well on our way.

The plan is that we'll take Megabus to Chicago, the train from there {we have a sleeper car - which is blast and you should definitely try it one day} to Seattle, and from Seattle we'll rent a car and drive down the California coast and across the southwest hitting Arizona, Texas, and up through Arkansas to Tennessee before returning home. There are no words for the amount of joy and feeling blessed that overwhelm me with anticipation. I am just happy, and excited, and thankful.

I'll be doing my best while I'm away to keep you posted on our journey. You'll find updates on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram {I'm "Gina Shi Shi"} for sure. So if all of this sounds like a good time to you, make sure you're following me there! And don't you worry about all things Shi Shi, Katie's here in the office for the duration holding down the fort and keeping things running.

"Oh The Places You'll Go" isn't my favorite Dr. Seuss book for nothing. See y'all!

P.S. To Joe Schigel: Of all the travels in my life, the best journey I've ever taken is the one I'm on with you. I love you. I can't wait for this adventure; one in a string of many crazy strange wonderful before and I hope many more to come.

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{FF} Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 02:03:00 +0000

Personal photo taken while hiking in Upstate New York

We Clevelanders know the instant it's begun. It's the morning you grab a jacket because it's just a little too cold without one, or the moment you cave to the reality it isn't going to warm up enough again to not need it so you turn the heat in the house on. Autumn is definitely upon us.

I would be lying if I said I didn't love all of the seasons here in Cleveland {yes, even the grayest, snowiest, most blustery of winters are loved}, but fall always sticks out as one of progression, momentum, and most of all, gratitude. Maybe you're grateful for all that you've accomplished thus far this year. Maybe you're grateful that a tumultuous year is almost over, or that Christmas is coming, or you're adding a new member to the family, or you're finding comfort in the love and giving thanks for the legacy a family member recently left behind. Fall is indeed a time of transition and in all its triumphant displays of color, it reminds us how important gratitude is to carry in our hearts everyday. It seems the season lends itself quite naturally to cozying up with loved ones on chilly days to share a meal, a story, a laugh, a new adventure.

When I think of what makes me feel most grateful, there are the big ones; my husband, my family, my Robie, my friends, my health. Then there are the ones I've worked especially hard to achieve and maintain like a career that fills me up with joy and contentment and artistic expression, or pushing a small business to grow and survive, or keeping myself in shape. And there are the intangibles, the way warm fall sun feels on my face while I'm driving in my car, the long line that goes unexpectedly fast, flowers in the garden that continue to bloom though they should've been gone months ago, walking in the door with the last bag of groceries just before it starts to rain, the way that rain sounds hitting the windows of my house, the fact that I have a house.

I find expressing sincere gratitude for a gift, an act, or a presence in my life never gets old. And it certainly feels fantastic when someone expresses their gratitude to me. Whatever. It all just feels wonderful and warm and lovely.

And tonight, in this season of gratitude, I just feel thankful for all of it.

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{FF} Best Way to Spend a Summer Night

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Last night Joe and I hosted some friends for what I hope will become a summer tradition at our house; a movie night under the stars. To me, there is nothing more decadent than sprawling out on the grass, all cozied up in a blanket, and watching a movie, all the while listening to the crickets and enjoying the nighttime breeze. There is a luxury about it I can't fully explain that is endlessly appealing. And so it went, our little group enjoyed the last rosy daylight hours, had some food and drink, and then settled in on the lawn for a private screening of "True Romance". {A little Tarantino never hurt anyone.}

I love that my husband, production wizard that he is, is able to provide us with such a set up. It fills my heart with so much joy and warmth to see those I love enjoying themselves. The simple pleasure of it all is just perfection. Our backyard may not look like this one {from the pages of Apartment Therapy}:

But as far as I was concerned, my view last night was perfect:

I hope you too are soaking up the last bits of summer with the ones you love, doing your most favorite things.

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{FF} Bonbon Pastry & Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 14:31:00 +0000

View of the West Side Market from our front of house table

Thursday morning was not my first visit to Bonbon Pastry & Cafe, but it did remind me of why I so enjoy going there. And so I thought why not give a little Friday Favorite love to one of my favorite spots to grab a bite in the city? Proprietor & Pastry Chef, Courtney Bonning, is not only very talented and a joy to chat with, but also has an impeccable grasp of comfortable chic, both in her menu and in the design of the cafe. If you aren't careful, once inside you may forget you're in Cleveland altogether, and mistake yourself for being in a cozy little European cafe.

My dear friend {and dining companion} and I were seated at a table in the front of the restaurant with an enviable view of the West Side Market which made our visit all the more lovely. It's hard for me to stray from my order of "Bubble & Squeak", a house specialty of root vegetables, brussels sprouts, bacon and poached egg. Yes it is as good as it sounds. It was my friend's first visit, and she opted for the "Vanilla Bean French Toast" which is incredibly decadent and served with sweet corn, blueberries, and blueberry compote. We tried to show a little restraint by sharing an order of the "Cinnamon Sugar Donuts" served with preserves {which I polished off with my fork after the donuts were gone - I couldn't help it and have no shame}, Nutella, and sweetened mascarpone. A warm cider for her and coffee {attentively warmed as needed by Bonbon staff} for me accompanied our breakfasts. Their full menu is just delightful and French Press coffee crave-inducing. And I simply could not leave without picking up a forearm-sized Chocolate Eclair to take home, the majority of which {again couldn't resist taking a couple bites myself} my husband happily devoured for breakfast Friday morning.

Quite possibly my favorite thing about Bonbon? That charming space of theirs can be yours for your next special event. They'll create a menu just for you and have a full liquor license. Entertain the idea of entertaining your guests there and then check out their catering info here. And for God's sake go get yourself some French Press & an eclair!

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{FF} ♥ Birthdays! ♥

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:26:00 +0000

My 4th birthday, circa 1984.

Simply put, I love birthdays. They are a beautiful celebration of life and love and as far as I'm concerned there isn't much that gets better than that. From the time I was little, birthdays have been a big deal at my house. When my brother and I were younger, my parents {especially my mom} would go to great lengths to create the birthday party of our dreams each year. The planning for such parties began a month or so in advance with the selection of our theme. Would it be a Strawberry Shortcake, She-Ra, or Jem birthday {for me} or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Shamu, or Batman birthday {for my brother}? {Yes, we were both children of the 80's.}

The invites, paper plates, goodie bags, and pinata all centered around this theme, and the week before each party was spent preparing the house for all of our family and friends coming to celebrate. I always loved receiving the responses of who was coming, and choosing the perfect outfit to wear for the party. The whole process just made me feel so special.

That process of preparation took the one day of my actual birthday and stretched it to a birthday celebration week. And, many times in my case our family would be on vacation for my actual birthday which meant a small celebration with the four of us on our trip in addition to the big party at home. This stretched my birthday celebrations even farther to where I was comfortable declaring "Birthday month!" come August 1st.

This concept of a birthday week and birthday month were foreign to my husband when we first met, but now, years later, he's come to expect them not only for me, but for himself as well {which I find incredibly cute}. And now we celebrate in a whole host of ways, dining on a favorite meal out {or in} just the two of us, a birthday dinner and cake {or pie} with both sides of the family {mine & his}, and/or a big party with family and friends here at the house or a favorite venue. It's all quite elaborate and designed to truly celebrate the person who's birthday it is and everything they're all about.

And so it goes, that in this house birthdays will always be a big deal.

Why a Friday Favorite all about birthdays? Well, it's my birthday month! August 14th is fast approaching, and true to form, our house is under preparation for the celebration we'll host for our family and friends. I'm very excited.

Beyond the celebrating and festivities, I do really look at my birthday as an opportunity to take stock of what's transpired between my last birthday and the current one, where I'm headed in the near future, and where I'd like to be 10 birthdays from now. This particular year I'm feeling overwhelmingly blessed and grateful. Are there things I would like to change? Absolutely, and I'm working on those. :) But there are far many more things when I look at my life that are completely and exactly as they should be.

For that, I am humbled and overjoyed, and just full of love. To all of you who help make my life that way everyday, I love you very much. And to all of my fellow Leos and August birthday month cohorts - happy birthday to you!

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{FF} Clueless Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:54:00 +0000

I cannot believe how fast this summer is going. Every wedding season, it feels like it goes just a little bit faster. Quite honestly, I don't know how the last 17 summers went so fast, because I very clearly remember rounding up about 10 of my closest girlfriends for the premier weekend of Clueless. Today I'm slowing it down a bit to 1995, and I'm 15 when summer seemed to last forever.

Clueless is undoubtedly a cult classic. Not only did it impart on us such linguistic gems as "my bad", "whatever", and "as if", but who can forget Cher's completely unbelievable closet? I've been lusting after it ever since {even Carrie's closet in SATC doesn't compare; Mr. Big on one knee Manolo in hand or not}. Looking back, I think this may also be where my crush on Paul Rudd started. {Don't judge.} It also gave us our first look at the beautiful and funny late Brittany Murphy as Tai, the New York transplant. Wherever you are girl, we hope you're rolling with the homies.

Seems odd a bit to wax nostalgic about such a fluff filled movie, but I guarantee if you watch this trailer, and you like me went to the theater in 1995 with your girlfriends, it'll feel pretty good. Happy Friday!

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{FF} An Ode to Bing Cherries

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:22:00 +0000

Every July I look forward to cherry season with complete delight. I love pretty much any fruit, but cherries are definitely a favorite. I devour their little ruby deliciousness by the pound {several lbs. of them, every season, by myself} and couldn't be more content than to spend an afternoon reading {or doing anything really} with a bowl of cherries in my lap. This year they've been especially perfect. So bowls like this:

have a tendency to very quickly turn into bowls like this:

at my house.

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Cleveland Wedding Planner - Shi Shi Events Featured on Style Unveiled

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Last week we were so over the moon about our inspiration shoot, "Urban Candy", being featured on Style Unveiled! Since then, the shoot has gotten some incredible love from Lover.ly as well and we couldn't be more excited!!! If you missed the feature, you can check it out here and take a peek at some extra eye candy in these bonus images {just a few of our favorites}:

We were dying over the rose gold engagement ring from Marlen Jewelers!

This may be our favorite cake ever! Shi Shi concept, Flour Girl/Luna Bakery Cafe design - L.O.V.E.!!!

These pink cufflinks from Davide Cotugno Executive Tailors polished model Jay's look perfectly.

As an extra special treat, today we want to share with you the absolutely awesome making of "Urban Candy" video shot by the fabulous Sarah Sloboda of Sarah Sloboda Photography! Sarah captured all of the behind the scenes action as it went down that April afternoon and created this short video to give you an inside view. We love, love, love it!!! And so, without further ado...

Shi Shi Events: "Urban Candy" Concept from Sarah Sloboda on Vimeo.

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{FF} Coral Lipstick - Best Shades for Every Skin Tone

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Image courtesy of InStyle Magazine

I am so into coral right now. And sure, it may be the subconscious effect brought on by its ubiquity since Pantone announced the 2012 Color of the Year would be Tangerine Tango. Or it's possible I can't get enough because it's really just that lovely. Whatever the reason, I'm avidly searching for the THE perfect coral piece to add to my home {or THE perfect piece in another color that I can transform to the shade}, half considering repainting and restyling my office with a coral, charcoal and white palette {or maybe coral, turquoise and white?}, and definitely on the hunt for a coral lipstick {or more realistically for me, a coral tinted lip balm}. The last of which, coral lips, is not only the subject of this Friday Favorite, but also one of the easiest ways to add this summery, sun-loving, beautiful-on-everybody shade to your world. I, a fellow fair-skined lady, am particularly partial to how pretty the color is on Kristen Bell {above}. InStyle Magazine tells me the shade she's wearing in the photo above is Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine in Flirt {$32, chanel.com} and I think I'm definitely going to have to give it a try!

So as not to show complete partiality to the porcelain skinned end of the spectrum, I'm also LOVING how gorgeous this lip trend is on these beauties:

Tina Fey

Leona Lewis

Busy Philipps

Emma Stone

If you want to try the trend, but aren't sure where to start, check out these tips from InStyle, Refinery29, and Stylelist to help you find your best shade. What do you think girls, is this color wedding day worthy?

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Best of Brooklyn NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:23:00 +0000

As promised, here's the story of how Brooklyn NYC and I became pretty hot and heavy. It was a Monday afternoon, and quite honestly, I was just looking for a good time. But, after spending just a few hours with Brooklyn, it became clear this was the beginning of a lifelong affair.

There is no doubt in my mind that if I were a New Yorker, I would live somewhere in Brooklyn. It's also quite likely that I would start each morning with a cup of coffee from Oslo. It was chilly from the morning rain when I arrived at their Roebling location, so I ordered a Cafe Au Lait with a carrot coconut mango muffin. The muffin was surprisingly hinted with a bit of gingerbread, which I loved, and the COFFEE! Rarely do I find a cup of coffee I feel needs little/no sugar. {I am typically a dark & sweet (black w/sugar) kind of gal.} This Cafe Au Lait was so damn delicious, I barely even {and almost regretfully so} added the tiniest drop of their simple syrup to my cup. Even though the afternoon warmed quickly, I finished every last ounce of this coffee {another big time rarity for me on a hot day} and it was good 'til the very last sip.

A little later in the afternoon I bought the cutest ceramic milk carton vase at Sprout Home. {It's currently hosting one of my garden's gorgeous pink hydrangea blooms on my dining room table.} Sprout Home is a full service garden center that also carries wonderful little home products {such as the aforementioned vase} and floral design services. It's just the loveliest urban garden store; and they've definitely mastered the art of having an incredible collection while keeping things beautifully edited. I was also super pleased to learn they have a Chicago location {their original home} as well as I find myself there much more frequently.

I love to be in the kitchen, and I very easily could have spent hours perusing the goods at Whisk. When I walked in, a staff member was teaching a small group the ins and outs of kitchen cutlery which I thought was pretty cool {not only to have super knowledgeable staff, but to be imparting that wisdom upon clientele on a random Monday afternoon}. Whisk's shelves are brimming with everything you could ever want in your most perfect kitchen. My picks for the day? A large Epicurean cutting board, a couple of frosting spatulas, two boxes of pretty fantastic birthday candles, a manual juicer {for small and large citrus WITH a strainer and measuring cup attached - yes please!}, and ironically enough, several whisks. And, I couldn't resist taking a photo of two of the striped straw options they had available. How sweet would these look in a signature cocktail?

Right down the street from Whisk, is The Bedford Cheese Shop. They are not kidding when they say they are serious about their cheese. The scent when you open the door is delightful {especially to someone like me who may or may not be capable of living off cheese and cheese alone}, full of all of the delicious selections that fill their well stocked and beautifully presented cheese cases. It completely broke my heart to have to leave without making a purchase, but I had nowhere to store this cheese and all day ahead of me. There was no way it would have lasted. But, I look forward to returning to this shop, cooler intact, to take home one {or two, or three} of my favorites.

They might be serious about their cheese, but they definitely have a sense of humor in how they describe it. This may be the best description of any food by any shop I've ever seen.

After taking in some wonderfulness in Williamsburg, I went on to Red Hook. I went to Red Hook specifically for Baked. I am most definitely a Baked devotee. I am obsessed completely with their brownies {I have never tasted one better} and this has spurred a desire to taste/bake/master all of the ridiculously scrumptious sounding/looking recipes in each of the Founders' two cookbooks. On this particular Monday, I stocked up on some pre-wrapped brownies {to share with my family upon my return}, a peanut butter chocolate crisped rice square, a slice of pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and a salted caramel cupcake {the very last of which I split with my traveling companion}. All were, as expected, completely ridiculously heavenly. I also picked up a copy of their newest cookbook, Baked Explorations, and was delighted to find it signed, as well as a Baked coffee mug because well, why not? These guys are the real deal and you are absolutely deprived if you've never tasted the goodness that comes out of those ovens.

Right next door to Baked is a fantastic little wine shop called botta di vino. The energy from the store itself and Triciann {one of it's Owners} is irresistible! When I asked for a "reasonably priced super Tuscan" she instantly delivered with a bottle of Zingari {which she tells me means gypsy and I am instantly sold} 2008 which proves to be not only reasonable at $18/bottle, but also quite tasty - so much so that it now resides on my favorites list. Their wine cellar is not to be missed; and the custom glass floor above it gives you the perfect birds' eye view. Very sharp design, a beautiful wine selection and super fun staff made this quick stop in a highlight of my visit.

From Red Hook I travelled to BoCoCa, a collective term for the neighborhoods of Boerum Hill, Cobble Hills, and Carroll Gardens. While I got shut out at the two antique shops I had wanted to visit {closed on Mondays, not so great research on my part}, I was happy to see and visit familiar favorites like Free People and Paper Source among the boutique shops. And while many boutiques were closing up for the day by the time I arrived, I was able to pick up some Whiskey Sour Pickles from Brooklyn Brine, the Beer & Pretzel Caramels {that I have been DYING to try and have now addicted me} and "The King" {their signature with good reason} candy bar from Liddabit Sweets all at By Brooklyn, a sort of one stop shop for all things handcrafted by Brooklynites. I was also able to grab a spinach and feta pie from Damascus bakery and shop for some wonderful goodies at Sahadi's, a specialty and fine food Brooklyn institution since 1948.

As I exited Sahadi's and out of Brooklyn, my only regret was that I didn't have more time to explore and enjoy. I take comfort though knowing my suitor waits for me just outside Manhattan, and that when I next see him, he won't disappoint.

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{Friday Favorite} Brooklyn NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:17:00 +0000

My Friday Favorite today is actually my experience in Brooklyn NYC this past Monday. I spent a gorgeously sunny-but-not-too-hot afternoon exploring Willamsburg, Red Hook, & BoCoCa and I am so incredibly in love. I'm so head over heels in fact, I want to share all of my findings with you in a much more extensive post. With two weddings this weekend though, that post will have to wait. So please look at this Friday Favorite as a preview of what's to come in my "Best of Brooklyn" feature you'll see just in time for the 4th of July holiday. What's more patriotic than a post about our beloved NYC right?

Happy Friday!

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{Friday Favorite}: Michelle Williams' 2006 Vera Wang Oscars Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 05:28:00 +0000

Certain Red Carpet moments are timeless. When Michelle Williams arrived at the 2006 Oscars in this dandelion Vera Wang stunner, for me, it was definitely one of those moments. The dress had the most incredible shape, floaty but structured, and in such an unexpected tone; it was completely breathtaking! Add a hairstyle that was the perfect blend of polished and undone, a strong crimson lip, and that porcelain skin, and I'm just not sure it gets any better. I have no idea what category for which {or if} she was nominated that night, but that dress? Unforgettable.

Michelle Williams 2006 Oscars Vera Wang

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{Friday Favorite} Ariella Chezar Martha Stewart Weddings

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:30:00 +0000

There are certain images, certain editorials that have the ability to transport you to another place, another time, to somewhere you may have only ever dreamed about. For me, one such editorial was featured in the Winter 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Martha Stewart Weddings Winter 2007

In that issue I stumbled upon an article unassumingly titled "centerpieces with fruit & flowers". I quickly recognized that with imagery so breathtaking of centerpieces so perfect, they probably could've done without a title to the article entirely. The arrangements so strikingly crafted by the genius who is Ariella Chezar leapt from the page, each one complete perfection. I know I'm gushing, but I can't help it. Take a look at the editorial spread in it's full glory below and you'll know why it's been a perennial favorite of mine.

Ariella Chezar Martha Stewart Winter 2007

Even now, years after seeing them for the first time, I never tire of these images and still find inspiration in them every time I view them. To me, that's the true essence of timeless design; something perfect, something so wonderful in it's craftsmanship that the passing years have no power over it's relevance.

Happy Friday!

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{Friday Favorite} Diorshow Mascara - The Best Mascara of All Time?

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Jokilehto-Schigel) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Welcome to our new blog feature - Friday Favorites! Every Friday, stop in for products, services, images, etc. we Shi Shi girls can't get enough of - it's our little way of saying "Happy weekend!" We hope you'll visit often and fall in love with our favorites as much as we have! To kick off our new series, we couldn't think of any better way than to feature our all time favorite mascara for dressing up, Diorshow!

We fell in love with this incredibly lushifying, lengthening, all around "Are those her real lashes?" creating formula and brush when it was introduced in 2002. It's been on our radar {and in our makeup bags} ever since. And we're not the only ones! Diorshow regularly makes appearances on top fashion magazines' best of lists like Harper's Bazaar and InStyle {note: title won 2007-2012 - quite the impressive dynasty!} to name a few.

Dior has many formulations of the Diorshow line now available, including Iconic {also curls the lashes}, Blackout {super intense color}, Extase {Diorshow volume x10}, and their newest addition, Diorshow New Look {mascara plus a lash multiplier treatment serum}. There is a waterproof version of almost every formulation and a Maximizer {for plumping and priming} as well. So find your nearest Dior counter {Nordstrom, Saks, & Dillard's in the NE Ohio region} or any Sephora store and discover your favorite!

Dare we say it is the best wedding day, going out, special occasion mascara of all time? We do.

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