self wedding decoration: June 2010

Wednesday 30 June 2010

A Virtual Visit To Some Favorite Flower Shops

I just love discovering chic flower shops and studios. Here are a few of my favorites…

…Coriander Girl in Toronto…

…La Maison Des Roses in London…

…Jane Packer in London…

…Beautiful Blooms in Philadelphia…

…Saipua in Brooklyn…

…Jane Packer…

Do you have a favorite flower shop or studio? I’d love to hear about it!

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Color Inspiration: Claret, Ruby, Scarlett

image via Meg Perotti Photography

image via Sasha Souza

image via Yvonne Design

image via Sasha Souza

image via Meg Perotti Photography

image via JL Designs

image via Andrena Photography

image via Moss Industry Florist

image via Art With Nature

image via Botanicals

image via Art With Nature

image via Jessica Claire Photography

Nearly every time I write a post, I get to the end and think about how I would definitely use this color or this style or this idea if I were getting married now. I guess it’s a good thing I’m already married and don’t have to make these choices because today is no different…I would definitely use red. Yesterday I would have chosen white. Tomorrow I’m sure it will be another palette. No wonder I have so much fun writing this blog…I can choose something new everyday!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday 28 June 2010

butter & buttermilk

For the most part, Dalena Vintage has been a place for me to talk about all things fashion related. Lately though, I've been thinking about changing it up a bit, incorporating more of my loves and giving it a rounder feel. After all, in the scheme of my life, vintage clothing is only a teeny tiny piece of who I am!

So this is a test. Just a test. Here we go...

Starting up your own shop isn't always all it's cracked up to be. It's freedom from the man. It's living on your own schedule. It's doing what you love. It's a limitless list of good things really. But it's also long hours, living on a tight budget, a perpetual lesson in stress manangement, ecetera.

This said, I've recently fallen out of the honeymoon phase and into a being-broke-is-no-fun-let's-get-this-thing-moving phase. I've learned quite a bit about stretching what I've got and simplifing my life. Over the past few months, it's been an interesting challenge to bring this mentality into the kitchen but I've managed and actually found it quite fun. Let's take last week's kitchen project, turning one simple ingredient into two useful products. Butter and buttermilk!

All you'll need is heavy cream, a mason jar, an extra container and strong arms.

1. Fill your mason jar about halfway with heavy cream. Close it up and start shaking!

2. After about 5 minutes, your cream will turn to whipping cream. Keep shaking you're halfway there.

3. The mixture will start to thicken and look like this.

4. Now the fun part, it's going to separate into two parts. The solid piece should be a slight yellow color, and yup, this is the butter. The liquid is fresh buttermilk.

Now you'll want to pour the buttermilk into your extra container. With cold hands, take the butter and squeeze out the excess buttermilk. Next rinse with cold water, folding a few times and voila! Fresh butter and buttermilk.

Stay tuned later this week for what to do with that buttermilk!

Floaters

image via Wild at Heart

image via Designs by Ahn

image via Michelle Rago Ltd

image via Jen Kroll Photography

image via Wild at Heart

image via The Treasured Petal

image via JL Designs

image via My Fleur Journey

The picture of the arrangement floating in the pool reminds me of a funny incident. We were doing the flowers for a poolside engagement party and the hostess wanted several floating arrangements in the pool. We created three “floaters” and got to the site to set up. We placed the arrangements in the pool and they would float to the side over and over. The desire was to have them stay put in the middle. It became obvious to us that we would have to tie them to the drain in the bottom of the pool. I was wearing a skirt and sandals…not exactly swimming attire. Time was ticking and I was getting a little flustered. Then one of the guys who worked at the estate had an idea. He said, “I’ll be right back…let me run to my truck!” He disappeared through the hedges and returned…in scuba gear! He jumped in the pool (in the scuba gear!) and tied the floating arrangements to the drain in the bottom of the pool. I still owe that guy!

Sometimes, with all the planning in the world, you just can’t foresee every obstacle…

Welcome to a brand new week of flowers…thanks for stopping by…I appreciate you so much!

Saturday 26 June 2010

tea rose, stil de grain & old lace

Woken quite early by Miss Cami's cute little nose begging for food at my bedside, I jumped out of bed excited about the estate sale I had planned on going to this morning. Country roads. Check. Old barn. Check. Heaps of vintage clothing. Check.

Now maybe it's just me, but seeing a combination of the above in a single estate sale ad had me pretty darn fired up. Throw in a breakfast of homemade coffee cake and two cups of coffee, and you've got one wired gal.

I had a few stops to make along the way. At my first stop, I scored a 1940s/1950s tea rose slip made of the softest rayon and a most becoming 1960s wedding gown! Not too shabby I must say and all in about ten minutes time. Onward I was, out to the countryside just on north of Bellingham to said estate sale. The directions they had given were quite shady, but I wasn't hindered. I had confidence in the "well marked signs" they had bragged about.

Alas as soon as I headed off the highway, there were no signs to be found. What the devil. Driving and driving down back roads and country lanes, I stumbled on a few sales but definitely not the sale. The sale that claimed to be the sale of the year. In fact, at one garage sale I asked the woman holding it if she had any idea about this infamous barn sale to which she replied. "You know what, I don't. But there have been a few people who dropped by here looking for that same one! Good luck to ya." Well, after about an hour and half of driving I gave up and headed back to town. I ended up with a few good finds, but was definitely grumbling about the phantom sale.

Now why this ramble? Well, I have a plea to all those holding estate sales. If you're going to have a sale and aren't providing an exact address or contact information, please have the decency to let folks know if you decide to cancel it! That is all.

On the brighter side, several of these lovelies will up in the shop tonight. The rest will go up throughout the week. And of course, let me know if you have any questions!

Friday 25 June 2010

Revisiting White

Yesterday I received the sweetest email from a bride-to-be asking about flowers for her all white wedding next spring in New Orleans…which got me thinking…again…about white. So, here’s to you, Heather!

…fringed tulips…