DIY Button "Bouquets"

Last weekend was Laura's baby shower! This time of year (close to Valentines Day) the price of flowers rises significantly so we opted for some non-flower alternatives. One of which were button bouquets pictured below. These are super simple to make, work with any color scheme, are cost effective and most importantly (we think) utilize less resources than fresh flower bouquets.

For this project you'll need:

- buttons

- floral wire

Start with lots of buttons in various shades of your color scheme. In our case it was pink, pink and more pink.

Now begin to make stacks of buttons for each "flower". Three or four buttons per stem is a good number. You want to vary the colors and shades-- or you can use three of one color and one small button on top for the center of the flower.

Bend the floral wire in half and thread the wire through two holes on each button. Push each button to the end of the loop on the floral wire.

Secure the buttons by twisting the floral wire all the way to the end. You're done!

Display groups of the button bouquets in small vases or tie them together with ribbon to decorate a place setting. When you're done with them you can untwist the wire and save the buttons for something else.

Easy, cute and environmentally responsible. We love it!

DIY Decorative Votives

The secret to the black damask votive holders we used for Christine's baby shower? Packing tape. Keep reading for the details...

Choose your votive (or vase, or table cloth, or glass-- the possibilities are endless) and cut a length of decorative packing tape to fit. For these we wrapped the packing tape from top to bottom on all four sides. Depending on the pattern you choose you could cut out certain sections and apply the design or just wrap the tape around the votive.

(Votive image from Wholesale Flowers and Supplies and packing tape from the Paper Source.)

I bet you didn't know packing tape came in so many varieties!Shop Kate's Paperie for the styles above or search "decorative packing tape" on Google. You will be amazed at how many there are to choose from! Using decorative packing tape to coordinate elements of your party is cost-effective and makes use of items you already have (read: environmentally friendly).

Feature Friday: Blooms by Martha Andrews

We are so thrilled to introduce you to today's featured business! Blooms by Martha Andrews is a highly sought-after wedding and event florist in Northern California. Her work is absolutely stunning and fabulously unique. Without further ado, meet Martha!

"Weddings have been a part of my life since childhood when my mom and grandmother were wedding coordinators. I always tagged along and helped out with receptions. When I was 17 I fell into a job at a florist, taking orders, washing buckets, sweeping etc…then I started pestering them to train me and they did! I worked in the shop, Relles Florist for 4 years then left to free lance. I had a booming business for a few years and then stopped it all to have children. I say stopped but you never really stop because friends, family and the community always ask you to do something."

We asked Martha how she got started in her own floral business...

"I always knew I would start my business, I was waiting until my baby was 6 or so thinking it would take a few years to build up to busy, but my first wedding season out I did 28 weddings. That was the 2006/2007 season, the last 2 years I have done over 55 weddings from April to November. I always take November through Feb. off to do the holidays with my family."

And if there have been any surprises in her experiences as a small business owner...

"The biggest surprise for me was media attention, I have been featured in all the local magazines, t.v. and national wedding magazines as well, it is very flattering!"

Blooms by Martha Andrews is a Style Me Pretty Little Black Book member and has most recently been featured in Sacramento's Kidaround Magazine.

From Martha...

"My specialties are weddings! I do other events, but I love weddings, I really strive to make each one as unique as the bride. For most people it is the biggest event they will plan in their life time so I want it to be a memorable one."

And any challenges she has faced in running her own business?

"My biggest challenge has been the sudden growth and managing my family. I home schooled my 7 children for 15 years, I am used to being a full time mom, it was my career, now I feel like I have 2 full time careers and we all know we can’t do it all. I have some ideas I am trying to implement to 'solve' this 2 career dilemma, Next season I am going to limit the amount of weddings I take and I have put a minimum on them."

We love business who put family first and Martha Andrews is a mother first, who just happens to be ridiculously talented when it comes to all thing floral. One of the many things that sets Blooms by Martha Andrews apart is her Signature bouquet. She has developed a modern twist on the cascade bouquet. Pictured below is her Chandelier Bouquet.

Perfection!

We love it when boutonnieres are creative and different-- and these are no exception. Blooms by Martha Andrews uses a variety of floral elements combined with gorgeous embellishments.

The most difficult part of today's feature was deciding which photos to use. The sultry black feathers and glamorous crystals make this table setting absolutely pop!

The bright, beautiful yellow flowers make the table scape below look elegant and playful at the same time and compliment the black and white perfectly.

Carnations give this chic table setting a natural, welcoming feel.

We love how the photograph below shows that even in the most beautiful of outdoor settings, the right flowers can make your ceremony stand out and at the same time not distract from the beauty of the surroundings.

The flower balls below give this hallway such a high-impact punch of color and would set the tone of your reception for guests as they arrive.

Excellent use of petals to designate an aisle. Couldn't you envision flower girls in little white dresses gracefully walking down that path before the bride? Beautiful.

Delicate orchids paired with fresh hydrangeas... I think we may have set a record for the most time we've used the word "perfection" in one post! But really-- absolute perfection.

There is so, SO much more eye-candy over at Blooms by Martha Andrews website and blog. Head on over to both sites. A warning though, you can't blame us if you end up spending WAY too much time there-- and we're speaking from experience.

Happy Friday and thank you so much to Martha Andrews for sharing with us today!