Engaged: Liz + Rich

We are excited to share with you a simply sweet engagement session today, done by some of the coolest photographers around, He & She Photography. We will be working with this talented team again on Liz and Rich's wedding, which is less than a month away!

We met with the beautiful bride to be Liz this weekend and enjoyed discussing all the details to their upcoming wedding. The wedding theme is "Up, Up and Away"....and each of them have come up with some outrageously creative ideas! We are so excited for their wedding! It is going to be fun!

The photo above is one of my favorites! Liz, you're stunning. I love the use of these pale pink heart balloons, and they will also be tied into parts of their wedding day. How fun are those?!

Love,
Ashlyn+Heather
C&C

Coral & Shimmer [nonpareil magazine] Part Deux

We're back to round up the details from our tablescape photo shoot for Nonpareil Magazine. This was an extremely fun project, as we worked on creating something beautiful, yet affordable for most brides!

Karrie & Elizabeth are the two behind Posh Paperie. These girls always amaze us with creativity and attention to detail through paper. We were excited to see their paper quilling skills when it came to this shoot. We tried to incorporate the round movement through paper in different ways.

Here is a little DIY tutorial for your very own quilled lettering, which can be a creative touch to any piece of the wedding! I loved the framed monogram and cookie banner they came up with.

You will need: a pencil, strips of paper cut 1" thick and glue dots.

First, determine what word you want to spell out. For each letter, use a strip of paper for each stroke you need to form the letter. Wrap the edges of each strip tightly around a pencil to curl it and shape the rest of the strop to form the letter. To attach the strop to the surface, use a glue dot as needed!




Dessert bars are still awesome. In 2010, I think we're going to see many twists on your standard dessert bar. Friends, meet the DIY Cookie Bar. Often times we get many brides who don't love cake. We encourage our brides to do things they love, and reflect their own taste. And this bride is a cookie lover.

With a handful of family recipes, she got her family to baking and we created a mini cookie bar. We covered pieces of wood in the fabrics to match our colors, theme, and the lampshades. We placed them on top of large candlestick holders to create various heights. The finish, stack the mini cookies inside gold foiled cupcake liners. Don't forget the milk! Serve ice cold milk in non-traditional old bottles with mini glasses.

If you don't want to bake these yourself, ask your caterer or hire a baker to make homemade cookies of your choice, and see if they can even serve them warm!


This wraps up the shoot. Thank you again Nonpareil for the opportunity to be a part of issue number one! Many more fun details about the shoot can be found in the Nonpareil article. We'll leave you with a quick snap shot of yours truly, Heather and Ashlyn. All of our photos were taken by Jackie Wonders!

Coral & Shimmer [nonpareil magazine] Shoot 1.

We are so excited to finally be able to share more of the fun details that we have been working on since November. Our concept for this tablescape shoot was bold, colorful, and creative while using a variety of gold and shimmery tones. Coral and gold look simply incredible together, and it is something fresh and new that hasn't been overdone. There was a photo I saw of a coffee shop in New Zealand that had lots of lamps hanging upside down on their lamp stand. It was then that I had an "ah-ha!" moment, and thought it might be pretty fun to find different shapes of old lamps, cover them with fun fabric and hang above a wedding table! So, the Coral & Shimmer table was born, with so much help from our fabulous team of vendors.

Table Linen + Bistro Chairs: Classic Party Rentals

Photography: Jackie Wonders Photography

Paper Styling: Posh Paperie

Floral Styling: The Floral Lab

These amazing ladies made this vision come to life, in all of their awesomeness! Thank you all again!! And thank you Maddy & Kristen for allowing us to join the fun of Nonpareil Magazine! See the shoot and write up here!

Leigh Anne from The Floral Lab pulled through and found us the perfect coral peonies for the shoot. I am totally in love with them and really think they make such a dramatic impact on any table. Yes, they are pricey, but as we mention in the article, you only need a few stems to make a big impact on any table. Leigh Anne also sprayed several pieces of the foliage gold, which matches perfectly with the table. Another DIY trick to fancy up your standard greenery and give the centerpiece an antique finish.


These lampshades were a vision that came to life! All you need is your trusty glue gun, ribbon, various old lampshades, spray paint and fabric of your choice to create your mini lamp chandelier. We found our fabrics online from various Etsy sellers, and the lampshades were all found at Pat's Corner for $1.00 a piece! Such a fun bargain.

DIY Lampshade Chandelier:

step 1. Lay your fabric out, and measure the amount you will need for each shade. Don't worry about getting it too exact - you can always, trim, tuck and fold and glue the extra underneath.

step 2. Use your hot clue gun to secure the fabric on one side and wrap it around the shade. The larger, more symmetrical shade you have, the easier it will be. Make sure that it looks "pretty" from underneath, as your guests will be able to see the inside if these are used as a chandelier.

step 3. Spray painting a few of the lampshades is quite easy, and much quicker! It adds some simplicity if the fabric you use is a little busier.

step 4. Once done and dry, tie the inside tops of each shade with ribbon and hang from a ceiling, overhang, tree, or any area in which you can secure these pretties over your table. It is such a fun way to bring a homey feel outside! I also think this would be darling at a bridal shower, or a fun party.

We'll be back soon for round two next...The DIY cookie bar and paper quilling by Posh Paperie!

Nonpareil Magazine

We were so excited this past fall when we were approached by the two ever so talented ladies, Maddy from Inspired Bride and Kristen from Paper Crave, to design a tablescape shoot for their new upcoming and top secret project, Nonpareil Magazine. The online magazine officially launches today. The first issue, Beautiful on a Budget, caters to the DIY bride, with fun tutorials, and ways to class up your wedding, for less! We are so excited to see our Shimmer & Shine shoot in all it's glory. It is such a privilege and we are completely ecstatic to be a part of the very beginning for Nonpareil, and wish you only the best with this new endeavor.

To Jackie Wonders, Posh Paperie girls and The Floral Lab...THANK YOU for helping us execute our vision. You were such an incredible team, as always. I'm going to post more photos from the shoot soon [trust me, there are LOTS!]...so check back for more of the details!!

Love,
Ashlyn+Heather
C&C

be mine, valentine. [vol.3]

It's time to get a little crafty, bust out the heart shaped cookie cutter and get to work! With all the rain we've been getting, surely you'll find just a bit of time. If there is one thing C&C loves more than our very own husbands, it's a good DIY craft. So deck the halls with your very own labor of 'love' and celebrate your craft skills at the same time!

Here are a few DIY decor and craft fun projects to get you in the moooood.

Row 1: Wool Sache, Etsy Row 2: Creamy Fudge Hearts, Lace votives Row 3: DIY Felt Hearts, Yarn Wreath

Engaged: Julie + Brad

We met these two one evening at Starbucks, and right away just knew we had to work with them. I'm not sure if they felt that way about Heather and I, but we adored them from the start. Brad and Julie are simply adorable, and their love is so sweet. They had shared how completely opposite they are from one another, but any one who spends a moment of time with them can see just how perfect they fit as one. If you can't tell, they're planning a vintage wedding full of dozens of darling and perfect details. Their "Picnic on the Plateau" was photographed by Nothing But Miracles Photography. Here are a few of our favorites:

be mine, valentine. [vol.2]

Don't you just love long weekends? We sure do. Both Heather and I also love travel and fun getaways. So what's even better is a long weekend+valentines day+a lovely little getaway! Here are a few trips to consider over the long holiday weekend - sure enough to fit the mood for anyone.

photo credit: L'Auberge Del Mar, Snow Resort, Palm Springs Ace, Snow Love Birds, Bread & Breakfast

Grab your hunny and head for the sun. The Palm Springs Ace Hotel is the ultra hip, happening place. According to the Los Angeles Times, The Ace is, "a fun, affordable retreat that is a bit urban, a bit like a camp-out.” Sounds like a fun time!

Most of us could use some R&R with our loved one. Nothing more perfect than a drive up highway 101 towards northern California - where the trees meet the coast. A darling little quaint town tucked off the beaten path, you'll find Cambria. No better a place to stay then one of the dozens of adorable bed and breakfasts. Take a hike, spend time reading a new book, and a candle light dinner is in order once your reach your destination!

If you're ready for an adventure, pack those bags, find an inexpensive flight on Travel Zoo and head for Sandpoint, Idaho! There you will find one of the most gorgeous mountain villages in the world. Sweitzer Mountain is the Switzerland of the states. Breathtaking scenery with lots of snow! Bundle up with your snow bunny and hit the slopes or sit in the lodge fireside sipping hot cocoa.

If it's too much to leave town, stay local! We are so blessed by the abundance of completely awesome hotels here in California. San Diego has many boutique hotels, and some for a great price! We've fallen in love with the L'Auberge hotel in Del Mar. This is an ideal spa and vacation destination for anyone around the world! So if you're local, take advantage of all that we have to offer here! The hotel is laid back and elegant, with that southern California beach charm. Sit on the patio and enjoy cocktails at sunset.

Love,

Ashlyn+Heather

C&C