The 'D' Word

Decorator vs. Designer. . .What's the difference?

I get asked this questions all the time! Go here to read interviews with design professionals who touch on this very topic.

via Davis Jiminez

Wedding Thumbprint Tree

Yep, it's that time again. . . Wedding Wednesday! Yesterday I made some excuses as to why I hadn't been posting much on the blog, but I COULDN'T let another Wednesday go by without sharing some fun wedding ideas!

Back in July I attended a wedding in Sacramento for some friends of ours. (I blogged about it here.) You might remember me mentioning that the lovely couple opted not to have a traditional guest book. In it's place they had a large, hand drawn tree rendered with various shades of green stamp pads set up next to it on the table. Each guest was asked to 'leaf' a thumb print and sign their name next to it. The end result looked amazing and was such a sweet way to document who attended their wedding!

via Me

If you are interested in purchasing a wedding thumbprint tree similar to the one above, you can contact the artist Syndel Metcalf - syndels@yahoo.com

Since I attended this wedding, I've starting to see this trend pop up all over the place! It's a great alternative to the traditional, old, boring guest book that's been around forever. (Which usually gets tucked away in a box after the wedding, never to be seen again.) I love this 'wedding tree' idea because it creates a custom piece of art that you can hang in your home after the wedding and is an awesome reminder of your family and friends who celebrated with you on your big day!

Etsy has a number of 'wedding trees' available for sale. Or, to make it even more personal, you or someone you know who has any sort of artistic ability could render one yourself or draw it on the computer! Take a peak at a few variations of this growing trend;

Don't forget - JPM Design offers special event styling services! Keep in mind that event decor isn't just about flowers, it's about creating an atmosphere. Contact me if you would like help customizing your wedding or special event in order to create a party that truly reflects you!

Yikes!

Life has been filled with all sorts of chaos lately (mostly good chaos!) but sadly, I've been neglecting the blog. I've seriously been so busy with added work load, weekend trips, and other exciting stuff. Hang tight, I'll be back to my regular sharing of design and wedding goodness in a week or so, I promise! For now, I'm leaving you with a collection of bold and vibrant living spaces from a new UK favorite of mine, Living Etc. Take a peak and get inspired! 

Wedding Wednesday!

Wedding Wednesday's sort of fell off the face of the earth around here, but they are back by popular demand! What better way to celebrate hump day than to get a peak into some wonderful wedding goodness, right?!

Mason jars aren't just for your grandmother's jams and preserves anymore! There are so many different ways to have a budget friendly wedding, and using mason jars is one of them. Typically you can find a dozen clear, glass mason jars for under $15. Take a look at all the clever ways of putting them to use in a wedding or special event; 

Mason jars make awesome candle centerpieces. You can place them intermittently amongst flowers or group them en mass for an illuminated table scape!

I love the idea of using mason jars (or any jars for that matter) as hanging candle holders. Again, they make the most impact when grouped together, or you can attach them to a tree trunk to illuminate a walkway. Go here to view a simple tutorial on how to make these.

Of course the most obvious way to incorporate mason jars into a wedding's decor is by using them to hold flowers for table centerpieces. They look great whether they hold a bouquet or just a simple, single bud.

Mason jars filled with flowers are a great way to decorate the isle for a wedding ceremony as well.

Another great way to use them at a wedding or special event is to fill jars with a fun beverage like strawberry lemonade to serve to guests.

Candy tables are HUGE right now at weddings (and I personally LOVE them, who doesn't enjoy compiling their own grab bag full of treats to take home?!) You can fill mason jars with various types and flavors of candy to for your guests to create their own wedding favor.

Speaking of wedding favors, mason jars can be used in a number of ways to creating something special for your guests to take home with them and remember your event by. Fill them with bird seed, flower seeds, dry cookie or brownie mix, or even jam. You can customize them with a sticker or note attached, thanking your guests for being apart of your special day.

To purchase mason jars on the cheap, go here, here or here or you can typically purchase them at any grocery or hardware store as well.

Sweet Melissa. . .

My sister Melissa recently moved back home to live with my parents. She's in the nursing program at Stan State and is working her booty off in school! (Remember me posting about helping my other sister Michele decorate her townhouse by the beach, back in June? Well, Melissa and Michele are twins!) Anyway, Melissa is dying to be done with school and move into her own home and decorate it just the way she wants. She's quite the fan of the color orange (which developed at the ripe age of like 5, even before everyone else jumped on the orange bandwagon!) I've started a collection on inspiring interiors featuring her favorite color, because I know some day she's going to hire me to be her interior designer :) Here's a little glimpse into my orange inspiration file, just in time for fall. . .

 (This kitchen is a little extreme, but I had to throw it in here!)