Category

Events

Category

‘Crazy For Commons’ Wedding Shower

As I mentioned on Monday, we threw a couple’s wedding shower for two of our good friends this weekend (see their Paris engagement photos here). There were six other wonderful hostesses (all college friends), and I loved getting to meet and spend time with these ladies. Amanda and I met in high school, and we have been friends ever since. She is genuinely so sweet, and I cannot wait to celebrate her and Scott’s wedding in a couple of months.

We ordered the shower invitations from Paperless Post and used hot pink envelopes from Paper Source. We stamped these colorful invitations with my favorite vintage seed stamps, which are now retired. We decided to avoid a theme per se, but the invitations being pink, gold and white, led us to decorate the house similarly. I’ve linked most of the decorations to their sources at the bottom of this post.

Amanda looked like a real life Barbie at the shower (photographic evidence below), wearing a stunning white 5th and Mercer dress from Shopbop. You’ll recognize the dress from Erin Gates’ blog post about her visit to Houston, and you might recognize the girl standing beside Erin too!

My very talented mum made a naked Funfetti cake, which I topped with flowers from our florist (and friend) Jess Hamilton. We ordered catering from Central Market, and the hostesses brought cupcakes, sausage balls, and salads as well. We had a bartender, which was a life saver, as we all wanted to party with the guests and not be stuck pouring wine all evening!

I definitely think one of the biggest hits was the Fuji Instax camera. Although we ran out of film at the end of the night (apparently 80 photos for 67 guests was not enough!), tons of great photos were added to the bright pink guest book (which I found at Michaels). I didn’t take more than a handful of pictures with my DSLR once guests arrived, but am glad I snapped some during the day while we were setting up and that we have polaroids to remember all of the fun that took place. It was a great evening and we’re definitely #crazyforcommons.

pink gold white wedding shower couples houston paris hot pink home polaroidthecommonspink gold white wedding shower couples houston paris hot pink home polaroidshower4DSC_0251

The Best Baby Items on Etsy (Giveaway!)

the best baby items and stores on etsyI love Etsy. The fact that there is now a marketplace for entrepreneurial artisans all across the world to share their unique goods is just amazing to me. What did we do without it?

I have always been a big Etsy fan, but not necessarily an avid shopper. That is, until the moment I found out I was pregnant with Isla. Etsy is the mecca for adorable baby products – bows, leggings, blankets, teethers, birth announcements, baby shower decor, mobiles, etc. I’ve scoured the site over the last year and have ordered a number of baby products – some of which I love to pieces and want to share with you. And what’s even better is that my favorite seven shop owners (Les Petits DarlingsBy George Baby BoutiqueNomad Floral Designs, Smiling Tree ToysBaby Grace HoustonMax & Me, and Happiness Lives Here) have agreed to give away some of their amazing products to one lucky winner of the giveaway below (over a $200 value!). The giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday, January 18. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


the best baby items and stores on etsy les petits darlings

Colorful Leggings & Shirts from Les Petits Darlings

I first came across Les Petits Darlings (Etsy + website) on my favorite Instagram account – @kristygirl of The Benzer Bunch. Her daughter, Livi (Seriously? Could she be any cuter?) has lots of leggings from Les Petits Darlings, and I love them all. I decided to get Isla the cotton candy ones, because I am obsessed with how bright and whimsical they are. I can’t wait to order another pair – and I know I need the crowd pleaser t-shirt for Valentine’s Day. It is insanely cute.

I have to warn you – browsing this site is slightly dangerous, because if you’re like me, you’re going to want everything you see.

Sharon, the owner of Les Petits Darlings, is kindly giving away one of the brand new Valentine’s Day t-shirts to the giveaway winner!

Follow Les Petits Darlings on Facebook // Instagram

Watercolor Calligraphy

One of my favorite new trends in the world of typography (a world I care all too much for), is watercolor calligraphy. I follow Lauren of @AFabulousFete on Instagram, and her prints are my absolute favorite. I love how the colors change over the course of the stroke from light to dark, which is beautifully matched with the varying thickness of the letters. There is a lot of gorgeous inspiration on the internet, and I’ve been motivated to give it a try as well!

Lauren posted the tools needed here on her blog, and I’ve ordered the brushes and plan on giving it a try. I am nerdily excited. Have you been noticing this trend too? Have you tried it?

Here are some of my favorite pieces of inspiration by various calligraphers. All photos are linked to their source site.

Happy Tuesday and Serbian Christmas Eve! We are heading to church tonight to celebrate for the second time. Having a multicultural family has its perks!

watercolor5 Frozen-Cocktail-Party-Inspiration-Sweet-Root-Village-OSBP-198watercolor3

Tinsel and Tables Workshop

Two weeks ago, I attended a Tinsel & Tables Workshop, hosted by Christina of Christina Leigh Events (first mentioned here). The event was so much fun – not to mention delicious (feast your eyes on the delicious baked goods from Buttercup Bakery). The attendees gathered at Over the Top Linen on a beautiful Sunday, and we learned napkin folds and discussed table settings, talked about cute paper goods with Katie of Katie and Co., practiced calligraphy with Jenny of A Fine Flourish and learned all about perfecting your holiday decor with Christina. She taught us how to make natural wreaths and the perfect bows. Needless to say, it was a very informative four hours. I took my wreath home and have it on our table as our centerpiece!

Over the Top Linen is the most incredible store ever (fabric heaven). I am dying to get my hands on those fancy sequin fabrics for Isla’s first birthday party. The entire event was exciting, as I had been following many of these lovely ladies on Instagram for awhile, and it was great to meet them (all incredibly sweet). I’m looking forward to Christina’s next workshop!

The entire workshop was photographed by the incredibly talented Jessica of Ever and Anon (all photos below are courtesy of Jessica). I hope to have her take photos for us in the future! Her pictures are beautiful.

PS Seeing these photos of me with the blond hair now makes me cringe. So excited to be a brunette again (photo here)!

TT1TINSEL_AND_TABLES_WORKSHOP_039TT2TINSEL_AND_TABLES_WORKSHOP_029

The Semple Family Christmas Photos

The 18th annual Semple family photos were taken last Saturday, and I was excited to view the gallery yesterday (the shining highlight of a 72-hour stomach bug!). We were lucky enough to have our pictures taken by Paige of Awake Photography, who took our Petrovic family photos earlier this fall. We took them in a rustic little nook of Memorial Park, which I’ve never seen before (and I’ve trekked all around the park).

We took them in the early evening, which is not Isla’s best time of the day, so she wasn’t quite as cheerful as the other pictures we took (plus she had a cold!). I do love that one of her sitting by the tiny tree though! I am very, very ready to get my hair back to its original brown (happening Wednesday, after eight weeks of ombre)!

After picking the photo, Mum hurriedly ordered her cards from Minted yesterday, and I’m excited to see how they turn out. We sent ours out this week, and I was super excited to get three in the mail yesterday! I love holiday cards so much. Have you received any yet?

As a reminder, today is the last day to enter the Baby Registry giveaway, valued at over $400!

Happy Friday! Do you have fun weekend plans?

Large Family Photos Baby Coordinating Outfit Ideas Houston Memorial Park Paige Budde Awake PhotographyLarge Family Photos Baby Coordinating Outfit Ideas Houston Memorial Park Paige Budde Awake PhotographyLarge Family Photos Baby Coordinating Outfit Ideas Houston Memorial Park Paige Budde Awake Photography