Custom Tiny Text Bowls by Paloma's Nest

Don't you just love the internet? It give us SO MUCH eye candy without us ever having to leave our computers. It can also be a little dangerous for your bank account if you don't have some self control.

My new love is with Etsy, the online marketplace for all things handmade. There are so much treasures to be found on this site everyday!!

I found these little custom white ceramic bowls that are simply fabulous! The best part is that you can put custom wording on the bowl!

What can you use them for? It's a great alternative to the traditional ring pillow. If you're giving your bridesmaids jewelry, what a neat way to present it to them in this cute little bowl!

Around the World

So many of my clients these days are well traveled, and we often incorporate parts of that into the wedding. For Emily and Danny's wedding, their tables were named after airport codes. For Jenny and Jacob's wedding, we had luggage tags hung on each chair with the guests' names on them. For Mina and Jeremy's wedding, the invitations were designed to replicate a passport.

I recently found another cute way to incorporate a travel, or destination, element into a wedding. Check out these vintage map cuff links, necklaces, and rings! It would make for great bridal party gifts. I wonder if the ring could be made bigger into a napkin ring. Each item can be custom made with the city or country of your choice. They have a lot of vintage and antique world atlases available, so it can really add that vintage element to your wedding, which is so popular today!


I also love these aluminum and glass encased compass cuff links!

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

I am so excited to feature my very first guest blogger today! Her name is Julie, and she is a really creative bride that I am working with this year. We are having a lot of fun planning her wedding, and it's going to be SO special.

I was incredibly impressed when Julie first confided in me on a 'secret project' that she had been working on. She had 12 special girls in her life that she wanted to invite to be her bridesmaids. However, she didn't want to just pick up the phone or send an email to ask them. Instead, she wanted to do something totally different and unique, so that she can express to them how special they are! Here is Julie....

"The day after I got engaged, I immediately thought about how I would ask my bridesmaids. I just jumped at the opportunity to do something unexpected and creative for my close friends. One of my favorite artists I've met in San Francisco, Lea, sets up the Worlds Smallest Postal Service where she writes a teeny tiny letter and mails it with a magnifying glass. Now, I've been a letter writer for years, so this was perfect. Last year, Nathan, my fiance, knew of my amazement at her teeny tiny letters and sent me a hilarious poem on one. Naturally I had to send teeny tiny letters to my bridesmaids, but with a fun spin. Over a couple of weeks, Lea and I worked together and came up with the idea to get vintage buttons and create a mini book. The button book fit perfectly into a square magnifying box that is needed to read the writing inside. We topped it off by wrapping it in sewing paper, her beautiful poetry ribbon, and a chartreuse box! I liked the fact that this button book would be such a discovery process with each step of curiosity."

Thanks so much for sharing this with us Julie! If I received something like this, I would feel pretty darn special! I hope this encourages more brides to be creative in their wedding planning journey.

Lea is also a creative consultant and loves helping clients come up with unique ideas for their wedding! Check out her awesome website here.

To read the response of one of Julie's bridesmaids upon receiving this package, click here! Love it!!!

Twinkling Beauty

This is one of my favorite photos from my Martha Stewart Weddings book. There is something so incredibly serene, warm, and pretty about these glass lanterns hanging above each table. I love how the candles are sitting on rose petals, and can imagine that at night it would seem like there are floating little twinkle lights in the air.

Fluffy Carnation

I love this photo, because it shows how beautiful carnations can be when used tastefully. So many couples tell me that they do not want carnations at their wedding, but are very surprised when they see how beautiful a large cluster of carnations can be on its own. This is one of my favorite cake tables--so sweet and romantic, and it reminds me of cotton candy!

Marry Me Macaroons

Who would have thought that the marriage of flowers and macaroons could be so blissfully beautiful? It's perfect for a cheery, whimsical wedding!

Lovely Things: Beautiful China

I have decided to start a new label of 'lovely things' on my blog, because I come across so many great things on a daily basis, so I want to share it with all my readers as eye candy and inspiration. Here's my first one!

There's nothing more I love than to be seated at a table with lovely place settings. Don't wait for special occasions to bring out your special china. Treat yourself well in your everyday life.

I found this photograph in one of my many Japanese magazines (which I love to pour over even though I don't understand a single text) and it reminded me of a really beautiful tea house that I once visited in Tokyo. It's so delicate, and girly--I love it!

My mom once gave me a set of really beautiful teacups when I first moved out, and I was shocked to know it was her wedding present from many, many years ago--still unused!! So, I vowed to make good use of it, and I have! I can't wait to pass it on to Bridgette, perhaps when she gets married?!