30×30 | A Subtle Revelry

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I'm Victoria, craft designer, creative director and founding editor of Styled. magazine. I have a crazy passion for merry making! Read more here. Contact me (asubtlerevelry at gmail).

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A princess in pink

09.28.10 Posted in 30x30, birthdays, design, events, kid parties, party, summer parties by Victoria

I had an amazing time styling this party for a sweet girl named Emery. She wanted princess minus the Disney with a modern flair. The party was held in an outdoor park (we may have received a few odd glances). The space was transformed into a beautiful enchanted pink world, complete with hot pink swing!

Inspired by a yellow beauty I put my husband to work building a fourteen foot light pink frame. We used it to make our thrifted hot-pink dessert desk look like purposeful standing in the field. The felt flowers were made by the party mom Jackie, using a tutorial I’ve previously posted HERE.

After lunch the guests enjoyed cupcake with the palest pink sprinkled frosting and a simple homemade white birthday cake with a very large (14 inch) pink candle. I had purposed to buy a similar candle but when I couldn’t find it, my kitchen went to work to create this handcrafted version. Do you think you would ever attempt working with wax? It was fun and very messy!

To coordinate with our large hot pink desk I also painted a small dainty desk light pink to serve our raspberry lemonade from, mason jars become the perfect glasses and look lovely with striped straws sticking out!

There were many small girlie touches to our celebration. I made monograms from silhouettes designed by Posh Paperie. We hung them in white painted frames above the dress up table. I also used this silhouette to fancy up the lunch napkins with labels announcing the royal feast.

A child’s party is not complete without games and a bit of whimsy. We create a royal ball (pit) for the occasion along with a royal (coloring) table and for the adults printable kids party bingo.

The favorite detail for the young ones was the princess throne (okay this may have been my favorite detail as well). I collected and covered three full size mattresses that sat under a homemade canopy pushed in against the trees. It became the perfect resting place for princess story time.

A princess popped in for story time which the girls attended after adorning themselves with tiaras, charm bracelets, ribbon wands and princess tattoos.

I completely adored designing this party for such a sweet family and seeing the little girls enjoy becoming princesses for a day gave me more joy then I could have asked for.

Photography credits to the lovely Carly Taylor

PS. If you’d like to see the rest of the photos, the flickr gallery is HERE.

blessings.

30 Comments

Plum love, wedding inspiration

08.26.10 Posted in 30x30, design, editorial shoots, events, spring parties, weddings by Victoria

The plum love shoot was one of the most fun projects I worked on this summer, partly because the women I had a chance to partner with, partly because I adored the concept and partly because we shot it in my backyard, against my favorite white chipped wall.

The main design piece of the concept was the wall of flowers. We used fabric tape to stick each bloom individually to the wall creating an incredibly dramatic backdrop with only two dozen stems. I love the simple way to make a big impact on a small budget.

I was shocked when Leigh Anne showed up with bushels of the most beautiful flowers for us to work with. She created this gorgeous bouquet and even let me add a whimsical detail of miniature bunting to it!

We incorporated plums into the table by using them as seating cards. Each plum had a table number written in cake frosting and a name card made with printed ribbon sticking out of the top. This idea would be great to use at showers or parties as well- lemons, limes & apples come to mind as good alternatives for differing themes.

Etching wine glasses is a fun, easy & very inexpensive way to add a bit of drama to the table, done in cinnamon they are also fabulous way to liven up a fall tasting party.

One of my favorite pieces of the shoot was the love journey artwork. I made this using an old trashed frame, spray paint and chalk board pens- writing in dates and meaningful memories the couple experienced together. A lovely way to share a relationship story with family and friends who may not know all of the fun details. The poster would also be a great addition to a birthday party, sharing sweet and funny moments from the honorees life.

Simple and lovely favor boxes that I designed for the shoot are available with download and instructions through Nonpareil mag.

The chandelier was a garage sale find, the same one that was previously pink. I sprayed it a deep purple and the bulbs a glittery silver to fit in with the design. The light was draped to hang very low over the table. Lesson learned, never overlook an amazing thrifted piece just because it is brass- spray paint cures a multitude of design mishaps:)

One last shot because Jackie is so rad, she had this whole back-lighting system set up that was super fancy and high fashion. A fun nighttime twist on the setup.

Designing this shoot was a great honor and blessing for me, although to be honest, I wanted to cry when we were through that no one actually, physically got to enjoy the design. A serious downfall to photo opp set-ups. I will take encouragement though that you are enjoying the photos! Thanks for being my very lovely clients for this project.

blessings.

10 Comments

Christmas in July

07.27.10 Posted in 30x30, design, events, holidays, party, summer parties, winter parties by Victoria

I am super excited to share this lovely little photo-shoot I styled as a cool oasis in the middle of our very hot summer. Christmas in July- 115 degree desert style (that was the actual temperature the day we shot)!

It all started with the idea to cool down and cheer up for the summer by bringing surprise Christmas gifts to our neighbors. I think that is just the loveliest of ideas, especially in July & especially if they are tied up with red twine and dragged behind a bike!

Although it is not a normal Christmas occurrence where we live, having snowballs seemed quite necessary. A vintage crate filled with water balloons hold the makings for a summer’s worth of fights that are sure to cool things down!

A dessert table is set up on a reclaimed, painted table filled with holiday treats! Christmas cookies are stacked high on a homemade cookie stand to elicit smiles all around.

To bring home the holiday spirit I planted mini Christmas trees that hung in red painted bird cages + more snow was a necessity! The beautiful white star snowflakes are the creation of Lisa and can be found for purchase HERE. A DIY on them is coming soon.

Peppermint pops made with candy, sticks and a bit of frosting were scrumptious additions.

It brought me great joy thinking through what desserts we could serve! Snowballs, candy & cookies, to drink peppermint shooters (aka melted red slurpees) seemed perfect.

And doughnuts with holiday flags that are super easy to make- see the tutorial HERE.

The bike basket was overfilled with cherries and flowers, a serious cheer bringer throughout the year.

I loved the idea of using cherries throughout our shoot. Perhaps because they bring me so much cheer? A bunch of them hung from the tree as a mistletoe to smooch underneath + cones of them serve as a healthy additions to our sweets display.

An ornament display of baby’s breath and ribbon is just as lovely in the summer as it would be hanging over a holiday table. Strung from a tree or carried as a bridal bouquet I believe I am equally as smitten about using one of these as a part of any upcoming celebration!

I hope this inspires you to celebrate cheer, and the holidays even amidst the HOT, HOT days of summer!

Photography credits to the very lovely- Chelsea Robbins
Star snowflakes via sponsor- Starcrosses

blessings.

18 Comments

Knotted in love…

07.20.10 Posted in 30x30, design, events, party by Victoria

Knotted in love, a shower for a lovely bride to be.

The inspiration for this shower came from this article, upon seeing it I just feel in love with the idea of a yarn maze- it is amazing! Although not as long or even an actual maze, I was thrilled at how the backdrop for the shower came out. The yarn strung across our sweets table with the word LOVE tied into it was just the perfect starting point.

The backdrop quickly gave inspiration for what became the centerpiece of the room, a yarn spun chandelier. I created it using different size kids bouncy balls & bright colored yarn. I secured one end of the yarn to the ball and roped it around many… many times! I also hung ribbons with buttons to add to the homespun feel. The mid-air yarn ball chandelier really set the stage for our celebration. PLUS, I am convinced this would make the most lovely baby mobile:)

The yarn balls were repeated on the table as flowers. They provided a wonderful pop of color seated in spray painted bud-vases. See the tutorial for these by clicking HERE.

I used a whole bunch of letters in the design of this shower, LOVE spelled out in as many ways as possible around the room.

I am happy to pass on a FREE DOWNLOAD for the banners of love that were placed around the room. Simply click HERE to download your copy. Each template has a small version of knotted in love plus the larger LOVE. They can be cut and re-sized for your showering pleasure!

Along with the scrumptious panini’s, a buffet was also set with a sampling of treats. Chocolate dipped pretzels and ribbon tied cheery pops were a few favorites of the day.

To drink, I served the brunch appropriate Mimosa! Each Champagne bottle is outfitted in a custom label and custom cocktail stir sticks adorn the flutes. I am also offering these tags as a FREE DOWNLOAD for you- grab the file by clicking HERE. You will need to print them out on 8×10 label sheets or simply cut and attach each one with double sided tape.

A random stash of vintage thread spools was spotted and I quickly picked them up to be perfect accompaniment for this shower. We used them to adorn a bulk pack of white buffet napkins. A fun guest book idea- for any upcoming shower you might have, instead of using a guest book we stitched in thread, buttons and fabric swatches creating a whimsical homemade set of dinner napkins for our future bride.

I also used the vintage spools to decorate around the room, they made such lovely vases!

Cheery yellow butter dishes for favors, monkey fist knots with bright pink yarn interwoven and marriage advice flowing freely made for a very cherished afternoon. I am happy to have made a new friend in this bride and am looking forward to styling her wedding very soon!

Photography credits- Jackie Wonders

PS. I have a new flickr stream that I am going to attempt to keep fresh. Check it out by clicking HERE to see the whole gallery of Knotted in love photos.

blessings.

22 Comments

Panini’s on a barstool

07.19.10 Posted in 30x30, diy, Favorite, food, parties, showers, spring by Victoria

I styled a sweet bridal shower earlier this month and for brunch we decided to make paninis! I set out fresh sourdough bread, lots of veggies & a sampling of cheeses. We cooked each on an old George Foreman grill. They made for perfectly easy + very lovely summer afternoon party food!

The rest of the shower design can be found here, including printable labels and that bright yarn backdrop featured today on Style Me Pretty!

PS. Yarn flower tutorial for the shower can be found here.

11 Comments

A mad tea

06.21.10 Posted in 30x30, design by Victoria

The last week in May a sweet girl turned 13 and wanted a mad tea. A very mad tea. So she came as Alice- white gloves and all…

We had a mad tea when the clock struck noon- Red Queen’s orders. The Mad-hatter himself even showed up to celebrate.

A mad tea

We beckoned guests with whimsical invitations encouraging them not to be late.

The table was set with a black and white harlequin backdrop surrounded by hot pink & teal. Antique cups were used to sip and old fashioned clocks kept the time.

A drink me tag was tied around the lemonade canister where it spent the afternoon resting on a vintage dresser for the young woman’s taste buds not quite accustomed to tea. You can download the drink me tags I created by clicking here.

Bunches of colorful poms floated above. The birthday girl desired to have the colorful style from the old Disney movie combined with the sophistication of the new.

We created this look for her by using heavy vintage pieces and a dramatic black & white backdrop, redesigning a garage sale patio set to fit in as seating was an easy way to incorporate our theme.

Setting a table filled with youthful charm- vases of playing cards and whimsical pink flamingos created a fun celebration.

A bakers rack was set to the side as a place for hanging all of the custom hats- it also housed a fabulous vintage tea collection.

The red queen headed up the tea with elegance and just a bit of fear. The girls carried custom off with her head flags through the neighborhood on their way to play croquette.

A very mad tea indeed…

blessings.

5 Comments

Sherbert & Spice, part two

06.09.10 Posted in 30x30, design by Victoria

After all the spicy circles seen in part one transformed our backyard into a truly fun place to be we added a bit of old fashioned charm and of course, the ice cream.

Ice Cream Birthday

A bit of old fashion vintage charm peaked through many of our ice cream birthday design pieces. We washed and sanitized a bushel of very old coke bottles found at a local flee market to serve as glasses for the event. With bright straws sticking out they were a huge hit.

The dessert bar featured custom popcorn cones, a cake with a chalkboard banner, and these vases of old fashioned candy.

The sherbert stand was truly a work of love! Made by the mom I was planning for- she hand drilled it all together and right in the middle of a major family move. The kids loved it and our chalkboard Sherbert sign signaled them over throughout the afternoon.

On the sherbert stand we offered a variety of both ice cream sandwiches and ice cream birthday cones. The sandwiches were tied up neatly with custom ice cream birthday labels and tied off with string.

You can download the labels for the ice cream sandwiches and cones by clicking here. Instructions: Simply print (there are multiple labels per page) and trim where necessary to fit your ice cream treats! Wrap around and tie with string.

We served up the sherbert toppings in a vintage model ferris wheel, each little basket holding a different yummy treat.

The kids especially enjoyed when we had the ice-cream man working behind our stand serving up gooey goodness for them. My little Chica even ate a whole messy cone herself- 25 cents was the going price:)

The wall behind our sherbert stand was strung with homemade kites, DIY coming soon. They served as favors for each of the kids in attendance.

To quench the after ice cream thirst we had stacks of custom labeled juice boxes set out along with fruit-lemonade for the adults.

Inspired by this celebrity party, the custom juice labels seemed too lovely a detail to pass up. You can download these custom juice box labels to use at your own party by clicking here. Remember to take the straws off the boxes before covering them, you can reattach them with string or simply set them in a bowl nearby.

To ensure guests didn’t faint from all the sugar we set up a food table with a special carnival fare.

Stacks of corn dogs curbed hunger and BBQ’d corn was finished off with fabric flag holders. The DIY for the fabric flags is here, I simple attached each flag to 2 toothpicks and stuck in the ends of the corn. The flags are a great stand in for those plastic hot corn grips. Wouldn’t they be lovely done as USA flags for an upcoming independence day celebration?

A bite size vegetable spread was centered on our food table. Using baby versions of the veggies they fit snugly in small candy cups. Multiple dips were ready beside them for dipping.

Before our guests left for the day we gave them a little project. In lieu of a signing book we created a blank story time printable guest book. Each guest wrote in a part of the story for our birthday girl. They did a great job and from what I hear the book has been bound and is being very treasured by a certain four year old, DIY instructions for this cane be found here.

Our Sherbert & Spice theme was possibly the most enjoyable celebration I’ve done. The details would translate well to many other summer-time parties- really anytime you give a group of kids melting ice cream & games it is a success!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this design. In case you missed it- part one is here

All photography credits to the lovely, Jackie Wonders!

blessings.

27 Comments

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A princess in pink

Plum love, wedding inspiration

Christmas in July

Knotted in love…

Panini’s on a barstool

A mad tea

A mad tea

Sherbert & Spice, part two

Ice Cream Birthday