a personalized Welcome! for tired traveling guests

My fancy espresso machine that is one of my most prized possessions is on week four at the repair shop...which means I've been spending a lot of time thinking about coffee.  Ok, I always spend a lot of time thinking about coffee, but I just appreciate a steaming pick-me-up more than ever right now, since it's a little harder to get. But I've been thinking this morning, as I'm drinking some Starbucks VIA--which is actually surprisingly good!--how much I love my favorite mug.

It's a mug with a beautiful swirly "A" that one of my favorite brides gave me after her wedding.  It's fun to have a personalized mug with your initial, and there are several great ones out there!  I think they'd be a great gift to tuck into welcome bags with some local coffee.  They show that you really thought about each guest individually, and they'll think about your event for years to come whenever they are having a cup of something cozy.  

 1.  My favorite!  I use mine everyday.  2. Pretty, casual colors  3.  Bold initial  4.  DIY...so charming, and looks like it would be easy  5.  One more   6.  The pretty Missus mug

If you are in Seattle, some of my very favorite coffees are from Caffe Fiore (and not just for their awesome name!), Zoka, and Stumptown.  Stumptown is really from Portland, but is so delicious that I'd consider bending the local rules a little and using it since they have opened a store here now. 

Weddings, GaGa concerts...

...both perfect occasions for a birdcage veil.  Brilliant, creative, I-wish-I-had-even-10%-of-her-talent Jordan just wrote directions for Project Wedding.  All you brides, knock yourselves out.  My fellow GaGa girls--they look so easy that I think I'll whip one up for each of us, in four different GaGalicious colors. 

Today's situation

Geez.  It's busy out there today folks.  Don't panic, because I present you with coping strategies.

1)  Thank you Huffington Post, for providing us with the necessary and hilarious rules for getting through the State of the Union Address tonight.   Who said politics is dull?  Now I'm actually sorry to be missing it tonight for a client meeting in light of all the fun to be had, but I've got to work on the state of my own union.

2)  blah, blah, blah, iPad, blah, blah...I give you this. Because SERIOUSLY. 

3) If you just need a break from it all and you'd rather look at some loveliness, I can't compete today.  Just go check out these easy and fab directions for some seriously luscious gorgeousness over at 100 Layer Cake.

I've loved Bell'occhio's woodland cake stand since it was featured in a MS weddings issue years ago, and I have a pretty big weakness for cake stands (and Bell'occhio!) in general. However, it's never quite fit into my budget. A few weeks ago Once Wed featured a lovely woodland cake stand for the DIY project of the week. Easy and gorgeous! I think I'll make a bunch and put all kinds of things on them--little potted plants, little bottles and miscellaneous on my vanity, my constantly lost stapler and calculator on my desk, and maybe even a cake now and then.

Wouldn't it be cute to put a small one at each guest's seat with a cupcake?

Tweet Tweet!

Busy getting ready to head to Birmingham for my sister's wedding next week, and realizing how hard it is to work on a wedding from a distance--you brides amaze me! Katie has an awesome color palette--dusty turquoise and bright red, and will have antique birdcages and little birds in the gorgeous garden of the Cate's House.

We've been trying to figure out what to do with the branches above the buffet table--orchid strands were considered, but they seem a little formal and elegant for a southern sweet tea afternoon wedding. Then...I saw these darling little bird cutouts from Once Wed's weekly DIY feature that features lalaLaurie. She always does the cutest stuff! (Here for directions on the birds, including the template).