Category: Weddings

October 9, 2012

Niki & Will are such a rad couple.  They are stylish, hilarious, and head-over-heels in love… and we had a blast working with them!  Their playful wedding was featured on Green Wedding Shoes last month (thank you, Jen!) but we wanted to share some photos here, too.

The shindig took place at one of my new favorite venues: Santa Margarita Ranch in Santa Margarita, CA.  I love the old marquee out front (which Will and Niki customized with their own welcome wording), the vintage train, the ceremony courtyard strung with market lights, and the barn — oh! the barn! — is a 100-year old structure built over original walls from 1817!  The building was initially built as an asistencia to Mission San Luis Obispo.  When I stepped into the barn for the first time, I was taken aback by the incredile stone + mortar walls, the warm sunlight pouring in through wooden slats, the overhead lighting that is enchanting in its simplicity.  It is a wonderful setting for a wedding (or any celebration!) and I look forward to returning there soon!

Niki and Will both work in the entertainment industry (Niki writes for The Office, and Will is an actor) and have a great sense of fun.  Their crowd is also an incredible party crew; I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more packed and lively dancefloor!  Their day was infused with lots of personal and whimsical touches like…  tables named after the funny Texas sayings of Niki’s father // custom paper bibs for a proper Southern feast // a pie bar // a ceremony backdrop made by the couple using salvaged screen doors // readings from Steve Martin and Rumi and a re-enactment of a scene from “True Romance” // a pom pom toss for the recessional …

We LOVE this couple and we know you will too after you take a peek at these great photos from onelove photography.

i had fun making the chalkboard dinner menu + window pane welcome sign for the couple 🙂

VENDOR ROUNDUP

photography: onelove photography // venue: Santa Margarita Ranch // event design + planning: Angel Swanson and Michelle Cardona at Love & Splendor // wedding dress, shoes + bridesmaid dresses: J. Crew // hair + makeup: Felicia Howe of Primrose Organic // groom suit: Bloomingdale’s // invitations + paper goods: DIY // catering: Trumpet Vine Catering // pie: The Avila Barn // music: Red Shoe LA // transportation: Ride-On Transportation

I hope your week is off to a great start!  In my world, recent events include… planning an upcoming visit for some much-missed Texans (Hi Ryan and Cary!) // knitting two new scarves (drop stitch and lace ladder stitch) // house-hunting (so exciting!!) // brainstorming for Christmas cards // starting Olive on solid food (quite the adventure!).  I’ll be back soon but as always, feel free to follow along my day-to-day journey on Instagram (@loveandsplendor).  Thank you for stopping by!  xoxo, Angel

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September 12, 2012

Happy Wednesday, everyone!!  I wanted to put up a little post congratulating Amanda for winning the Ruby LOVE baby book!  I’ve already emailed you so look out for another message on getting the book to you.  😉

Thank you to all of our readers for entering and being a part of the giveaway!  We have more giveaway ideas brewing so look out for another chance to win something fab soon.

Today Olive is SIX MONTHS old!!  I absolutely cannot believe it.  I’m finishing up her six month post and hope to share it within a few days, along with a fun wedding featured on Green Wedding Shoes today.  Take a peek HERE and come back soon for our take on the big day.

Aside from all the excitement today, we are busy finishing up preparations for two more fabulous September weddings.  🙂  Back to escort card making for me!

Because every post should have a picture, here’s an iPhone snap of Olive from yesterday.

Enjoy your Wednesday and see you all soon.  <3

love,

Angel

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August 24, 2012

Today we have an exciting giveaway via our fabulous Michelle!  Read on!!

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Hello everyone!!  It’s been a while since I checked in and I thought I would say hello AND give something away.  The best of both worlds, right?  😉  For those of you readers both new and old, you know that Angel and I share an appreciation for all things F-O-O-D!  Whether it’s cooking something up ourselves, baking all hours of the night, ordering take-out or sitting down to a fine dining experience, we love every minute of preparing things for our loved ones or enjoying something especially prepared for us!

So for those of you in the Los Angeles area, you may know that a very delicious and exciting weekend is coming up over Labor Day weekend: the Los Angeles Times‘ THE TASTE annual food and wine festival is back and we’re giving away not just two pairs of tickets (like last year), but FOUR PAIRS of tickets!  That means we will have four different lucky readers and winners!  We brought you this giveaway last year and we’re able to repeat it this year with the help of an insider.  😉  It’s going to be another great weekend with local and celebrity chefs, delicious restaurants, tasting libations and a plethora of cooking demos.

You will get to choose between one of five events.  Every event will be held in Hollywood at Paramount Pictures Studio on their backlot (and if you haven’t been, you’re in for a treat!  It’s such a cool location!).  Keep in mind that all events are 21+ EXCEPT for the Labor Day Picnic where all ages are welcome!

  • Field to Fork, Saturday – 9/1 from 11a-3p
  • Cocktail Confidential, Saturday – 9/1 from 8p-11p
  • Flavors of LA, Sunday – 9/2 from 11a-3p
  • Dinner & Drinks, Sunday – 9/2 from 8p-11p
  • Labor Day Picnic, Monday – 9/3 from 11a-3p

Check out the official website to learn which Times food writer or critic will be hosting each event, read up on the chefs scheduled for cooking demonstrations and book signings, or just let your mouth water as you review the long list of restaurants participating at each event.  Nummy nummy is all we have to say about it!!

Here are the simple instructions on how to enter!

  • LIKE Events of Love and Splendor on Facebook (we want to ensure our most loyal L&S readers are amongst the winners!)
  • Comment below and let us know which event you’d like to attend and why
  • Tell us briefly about your favorite food experience!  It could be anything from your favorite local Mexican restaurant, that bakery that whips up your nostalgic childhood treat, an amazing pizza spot, a decadent meal at a Michelin-starred establishment or even a dinner you prepared yourself!

That’s it!  To ensure your name is added to the drawing, please make sure to follow all 3 instructions above.  We will accept entries until Tuesday, 8/28, at 11 a.m. PST.  The winners will be announced on the blog shortly thereafter.  Of course, remember that the events are in Los Angeles so we apologize to our non-local readers (unless you’re ready to road trip!).  Also, we ask that you double-check your schedule to ensure you can attend the event, since we want to give the tickets to folks who are really excited to be there!

Check back Tuesday to view all the great entries and see what other readers picked and why!  More importantly, don’t forget to check to see if you’ve won! 😉  Best of luck to all entrants and have a fantastic week.  Continue to find what you love and truly enjoy it!

xoxo,

Michelle

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Thanks everyone!  Have a marvelous weekend and see you next week for the winners announcement AND (finally) Olive’s 5 month post and yet another giveaway!  Woohoo!!!  xoxo, Angel

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August 22, 2012

This past weekend was busy and WONDERFUL for the ladies of Love and Splendor.  We saw two beautiful weddings come to fruition (one for a dear client, and one for another family member!) AND we had a special arrival.  No, this time it wasn’t a new baby.  😉  Upon returning from the wedding weekend, I discovered a package on my doorstep from my dear friend Ryan Ray.  It was carefully wrapped up with kraft paper and twine; the presentation of the photos was a gift in and of itself!  Gingerly tucked inside a box I found the prints from my sister’s beautiful June wedding!  I cannot begin to tell you all how much I adooooore the images… The photos he took will be cherished by our families for a lifetime.  Every shot reminded me of how lovely the day was in its entirety — I was overwhelmed by emotion as I recounted the day’s events with each photo.  I also got teary looking at the photos Ryan took of Olive… She has already changed so much in the past couple of months, that seeing her as a “tiny” 3-month old really made me sentimental (more than usual!).  We are blessed to have such priceless images of that day.

I hate to be a tease, but you’ll have to wait for the official unveiling of those wedding photos!  In the meanwhile, however, I’m excited to share their beautiful engagement photos with you!  Anna and Sean sent these favorites with me and I couldn’t help but smile as I uploaded each one.  They capture the childlike joy of their relationship.  🙂

Ryan: you never fail to touch my heart with your gift.  Working with you is such a joy.  And Anna and Sean: thank you for allowing us to share these photos here!

Anna’s favorite pic of her husband 🙂

maybe my (Angel’s) favorite 🙂

Coming on Friday: Olive’s (belated) 5-month post and an exciting GIVEAWAY you won’t want to miss.  😉  See you again soon!  xoxo, Angel

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July 24, 2012

Today Michelle will be checking in with her second post about her sister Nicole’s wedding last month.  😉  If you missed her intro post, make sure to get caught up!  We hope you all enjoy this peek into the nuptials of someone near and dear to her heart… her baby sis!

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For Nicole’s wedding, she  knew she wanted a venue that spoke to her love for Los Angeles and her favorite sports teams (Lakers, Dodgers and Trojans… but don’t ask her in which order!) and that could accommodate, at least, 100 guests.  She wanted a place that was beautiful yet simple and she found that in the Oviatt Penthouse in downtown Los Angeles.  Named a historic cultural monument, it is actually listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  It was constructed in the late ’20’s as the headquarters of one of the most prestigious and expensive haberdasheries in the city at the time.  The building is complete with art deco fixtures, Lalique glass and a fantastic 360 degree view of downtown.  Because of the venue’s strong vibe, she wanted to stick with colors that would complement the space and decided on black, white and (Lakers) yellow.  All of her paper goods including the invites, menus, programs, bar menu, welcome sign and escort cards complement one another with either diagonal black and white stripes, a black/white/yellow chevron pattern or an art deco-inspired font.  She secured Tony from Red Shoe LA (an L&S favorite!!) to play their favorite music well into the night.  Nicole’s top picks include Silver Sun Pickups, Arcade Fire, Local Natives, Calvin Harris, Crystal Castles and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, while Mike steers more toward electronica/progressive sounds from Tiesto, Deadmau5, Ulrich Schnuass, John Digweed and Paul Oakenfold.  I also encouraged her to go with another favorite vendor, Vanilla Bake Shop, for her desserts.  She had a selection of five delicious cake flavors for her guests to enjoy.  I crafted a backdrop made of streamers for both the dessert table and coffee station to add a special touch to their photos.  Other than that (believe it or not, I crafted mostly for her shower and bachelorette weekend!), we’ve been able to keep everything fairly streamlined and simple, yet stylish as well.

Nicole really took the reins of planning her own wedding for the first year, which I strongly encouraged.  I wanted her to be able to think through each step of her wedding and know that once it was over, she could look back and smile knowing it was all she had dreamed of.  I can honestly say I was there to help guide her with deadlines, ideas and things she may not have normally considered.  The week leading up to the wedding, she kept quoting me with my little mantras: “Michelle… it’s a “NICE TO HAVE,” not a “NEED TO HAVE.”  🙂  She cracks me up when she does this because she tries to imitate my voice as well!  Aside from keeping her on track with her priorities, I had the task of writing and delivering a speech on the big night and I hope I was able to articulate clearly (without too much crying, like I did as my older sister’s MOH) what an amazing person she has grown up to be and how I can not only see, but feel the love she and Mike share for one another on a daily basis.

Here are some of my favorite engagement shots of them taken by Herman Au Photography.  Can’t you see and feel the love??

I can’t wait for my next post, sharing some details of the day!  Nicole was a breathtaking bride and it was truly a memorable evening.  Thanks for allowing me to share something and someone so truly special to my heart… Continue to find what you love and enjoy it!  Have a great day!

xoxo, Michelle

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We hope you’re all having a great week so far!  Coming up next to the blog is Olive’s 4 month post (she’s already nearly 4.5 months!) and another installment of {the nuptial primer}.  I also will take my turn writing about my own sister’s wedding…  So much to share!  As always, thanks for stopping by!  xoxo

love, Angel

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July 13, 2012

Happy Friday, everyone!!  We’re back with a fun mini-series today, inspired by the fact that both Michelle and I saw our younger sisters get married last month!  In fact, my sis Anna and her sis Nicole were married two days apart!!!  Needless to say, June was a crazy month for us!  😉  We thought it would be fun to share about both weddings here, from inspiration to conception.  They both had beautiful and unique celebrations so it will be fun to take a sneak peek into each.  Back when my mom got married in 2008, I did something similar with a few posts chronicling her planning process and the fruition of the day.  I know Michelle would agree that helping a loved one plan their nuptials is something very, very special.  Today we’ll kick off the series with a bit from Michy about her sister, her now-husband Mike, and their engagement story.

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photo by Herman Au

My little sister, Nicole, got married last month!  I can’t believe the day has now come and gone.  She got engaged December 2010 and with no immediate rush to get married last year, she instead wanted to take her time, enjoy being engaged, and figure out how to make her special day perfect.  It was honestly surreal for me to see her planning her wedding.  Nicole and I are five years apart in age, so to me she is not only my little sister, but also somewhat of my “daughter,” in a sense.  I have been there to watch her grow from the little rugrat who used to climb up the sides of the door frame like Spiderman to the beautiful woman she is today.  We have always shared an incredible bond and as the youngest of three daughters, she and I found more time to be silly together.  We invented a sliding cheek kiss as kids in the bathtub which we still do to this day, we have sayings only she and I understand, and we share so many mannerisms that people often confuse us (actually, all three of us get confused for one another!).  I hold memories of her running around the house as a child with a cop badge and toy gun confidently saying she was never going to wear a dress in her life (even to her own wedding!) unless she could wear shorts underneath.  She preferred playing with our brother and his GI Joes or cars as opposed to the plethora of Barbies my older sister and I spent countless hours with.  She was a proud tomboy for most of her life.  Yet today, while she still loves rocking jeans + a flannel shirt + Vans, she has grown into a gorgeous young woman filled with love, determination and a vivacious attitude toward life.  I am so incredibly proud to have her as my sister and I was thrilled to be her Maid of Honor.

The proposal deserves to be mentioned as it was one of the most creative and romantic proposals I’ve heard about in a long time.  My now brother-in-law (!), Mike, is a flight instructor and for the past few years, he and my sister have flown all over California and Nevada.  Whether it was up to Big Bear to snowboard for the weekend, Sacramento or Las Vegas to visit family, Catalina Island to have lunch for the day or Palm Springs to personally drop off my sister and her girlfriends for her bachelorette weekend, they are always on the move up in the air.  So two years ago on Christmas Eve, he mentioned he had to work and asked if she wanted to join and she happily said yes.  Little did she know the whole time they were in the air, he had the ring in his pocket and a big surprise waiting back at the hangar.  The days (and nights) leading up to Christmas Eve, Mike custom built a sign (with over 1000 light bulbs!!!) that said “Will You Marry Me?” on the rooftop of the hangar.  As they were approaching the airport, he flew low so she could read what had been written in lights and she screamed with excitement, “YES!!!”

setup underway!

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Now is that a sweet sendoff into the weekend or what?!  Come back next week to learn about the inspiration behind Nicole’s big day, as well as the vendors she selected.  😉  I will also be sharing Olive’s 4 month post (!) and my own intro to Anna’s wedding.

Enjoy the weekend!  xoxo, Angel

 

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July 2, 2012

Two weeks ago, while I was prepping for my sister’s wedding, this fabulous wedding popped up on Style Me Pretty!!  I was thrilled for our feature, but was sort of bummed I couldn’t properly time my own post to coincide with it.  😉  Nonetheless, I am excited to be sharing this romantic Malibu wedding with you today.  It’s soft, feminine, and elegant… a lovely bit of wedding beauty to kick off your week!

Nelly was a dream client and is just a darling girl.  I loved getting to know her while we planned together, as she has such a sweet and calming demeanor.  She was always genuinely interested in how I was doing (especially since I was pregnant while we were collaborating!), making it a point to ask me each time we got together.  I found that so touching that while she was preparing for such a momentous occasion in her life, she was truly excited for me and my own exciting news.  We laughed together, visited food trucks together (LOL) and dreamed together.  Nelly and I share a love for all things romantic so the design of her wedding was effortless.  The muted pastel palette, lush florals and vintage details made for a picture perfect scene.

One of my favorite design details we worked on for this wedding was the escort card display.  Nelly and I also share a love for Parisian décor (I’m a total francophile and French is my 2nd language!), so we brought in a bit of France with a boulangerie-inspired escort card set-up.  Using a a cobbler’s rack from {found} vintage rentals, we stocked it with beautiful artisan breads and petite floral arrangements.  Escort card tags were hung from lengths of sweet cotton lace trim using mini clothespins.  When guests arrived at their seats, they found petite baguettes wrapped in kraft paper waiting for them.  😉

The festivities were held at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, and captured by my insanely talented friend, Hugh Forte.  Take a look…

For a video of the day, check out this goodie from our pals at Elysium Productions.

As always, many thanks to the group of colleagues and friends who made this day flawless:

Wedding Photography: Hugh Forte Photography / Wedding Venue: Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California / Event Design + Planning: Angel Swanson of Events of Love and Splendor / Floral Design: Hollyflora / Wedding Cinematography: Elysium Productions / Hair and Makeup: Nicole Deanne / Wedding Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop / Ice Cream: Sweet Lucie’s / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Vintage Dinner Plates: Casa de Perrin / Wedding Stationery: Tritia Chang of Blue Metropolis Design / Ceremony + Cocktail Musicians: Mark San Filippo and Jazz Band / Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals / DJ + Lighting: Atmosphere Entertainment / Photo Booth: Smilebooth / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Bride’s Headpiece: Jenny Packham / Men’s Neckwear: Mimi Fong

See you all later this week~

xoxo, Angel

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June 12, 2012

Hi everyone!  We have another fun update from Michelle today!  🙂  Coming soon to the blog: Olive’s three month update (hooray!) and a sneak peek into the upcoming wedding of L&S associate (and my baby sister) Anna!  Can you believe that both my sister AND Michelle’s sister are getting married this month?!  Love is in the air… xoxo, Angel

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Happy June, everyone!  WOW.  Can you believe it’s June already?  How did half the year fly by so quickly?  I guess when life gets going there’s no stopping it!  I will say I am loving summer… The weather, the sun, the vibe, the colors: I am a huge fan of this time of year!  Just makes me smile.  🙂  Do you share my love for summer?  What is your favorite part of this gorgeous season?

Since my last update, I’ve continued being a busy girl.  The past month and a half has been both stressful and joyous!  Imagine that, right?  😉 I have been able to have a little fun, though, like attending this amazing supper club dinner: Wolvesden.  Chef Craig Thornton hosts private dinners where you must email to be considered for an invitation.  If you are selected, you join an elite list of 14 food lovers who come together for one night to experience something phenomenal.  You are given no indication as to what the menu will consist of (nor the location of the dinner – I found out a few hours before it started!) and the dinners last up to three hours!  It’s all BYOB so each guest brings something they feel will keep the conversation going around a table full of new friends.  Each guest had their own story as to how long it took them to get invited; some told me it had taken them over a year!  Lucky me, I only had to wait two weeks!!  🙂  But whether I had to wait two weeks or three years, this dinner blew my mind!  I sat down to a 9-course meal which was personally prepared by Chef Craig and his team of sous chefs that manned the kitchen.  The menu included everything from pork belly to rabbit.  It was my first time actually having rabbit and while I can’t say I’ll make it a staple in my diet, it was deliciously-prepared that evening.

snapshot of one of the prep areas

Chef Craig in the Kitchen

tilefish served over a pea risotto with orbit carrot and wasabi pea

scallop served with asparagus, bacon onion relish, fiddle head morel over asparagus purée.

And for desserts… well, let’s just say he didn’t disappoint.  🙂

buttermilk panna cotta with clementine, tangerine, freeze-dried mandarin with vanilla shortbread.

coffee cake served with strawberry, doughnut ice cream, strawberry meringue with whipped cream.

In other news, I’ve still been crafting away!  I went on a bender at the Dollar Tree and decided to make my own mini cupcake stands, tissue flowers, as well as coasters.  My love for gold spray paint continues to grow…

I hot-glued a candlestick holder to the bottom of a candle base and then spray-painted gold.

easy tutorial can be found online HERE for these lovely paper flowers.  all you need is tissue paper and wire of some sort!

I found some awful-looking tile coasters which I spray-painted white and then lined with painters’ tape and spray painted gold stripes… of course!

I used some of the flowers and all the cupcake stands at my little sister’s bridal shower (she gets married at the end of this month!).

I purchased styrofoam letters and hot-glued map pieces all over them.  With the heart, I just wrapped continuously with pink yarn.  Don’t let the simplicity fool you — it was very time consuming!  Patience is key so good thing I have tons!  😉

Here is some of the family!  Me, my little sister, our mom, and my older sister <3

In wedding news, I had my biggest wedding of the year (285+ guests) over Memorial Day weekend at our favorite Saddlerock Ranch.  The weather was perfect, the bride was gorgeous and the atmosphere was splendid!  Here are a few snapshots I took, but it doesn’t even begin to depict the beauty that was created that day.  Congrats Linda and Sean!

Fleur de Lis glasses in pale plum set upon a white wash table (from the vineyard collection at town and country!) — delicious flavored lemonades were added.  😉

Stunning centerpieces which included fresh fruit, veggies, and colorful flowers designed by Brad Austin.

Gorgeous hanging tree lights with additional market lights set the perfect tone for the evening.

I was still able to enjoy a Memorial Day BBQ with the family and brought along this watermelon + blueberry salad for everyone to enjoy.

I used cookie cutters to shape the stars and center flag (yes, I own a flag-shaped cookie cutter… don’t you?!).

And lastly, (and maybe best of all for all you Olive fans!) I was able to lunch with two very special ladies last week: Angel and Olive.  If you’ve been keeping tabs on Olive’s monthly updates, you know she is a true gift.  Her sweetness, her beauty, and her calm demeanor simply enlightens you with every breath.  I was so lucky to spend a lunch date with these two and look forward to watching this young girl grow into a beautiful young lady.

Precious Olive rocking an adorable flower hair clip and pink onesie, while I’m rocking my love for stripes and neon (J. Crew silk striped shirt with a neon chain necklace from etsy).

I hope each of you is enjoying the roll out of summer whether it’s the sun in your face, the sand in your toes, or the water beneath you.  Find what makes you happy and truly enjoy every moment of it!  Until the next update!!

XOXOX,

michelle

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May 15, 2012

Hey everyone!!  Wedding season is in full swing here and we are backed up with some great posts.  😉  We look forward to sharing LOTS of prettiness with you in the coming weeks.  To start, I am excited to finally share this lovely Saddlerock Ranch wedding with you!  If you’ve been reading our blog for any length of time, you know that Saddlerock is one of our “sweet spots” — we know it inside and out and work there constantly.  I loved working on this sweet wedding for Dara and Danny — they are such a kind and wonderful pair.  <3  They referenced the vineyards on the property in the design of their celebration, so we utilized fresh grapes and hanging amaranthus for a verdant feel.  Lots of dahlias made their way into the arrangements as well, while bouquets were on the softer side of the color spectrum, composed of pastel roses and crisp orchids.  The palette of lavender, slate blue, sage, and grey was refreshing — it felt light and fun, just like the couple!  A decadent dinner al fresco, courtesy of the ever-delicious Heirloom LA, along with a great dance party under the stars, made this evening unforgettable.  LOVE you, D&D!!

Here’s a look at their day, through the lens of the lovely and talented Chenin of Boutwell Studio.  🙂

{ fabulous vendors }

Hope you all have a wonderful day!  xoxo, Angel

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April 20, 2012

Happy Friday, everyone!!  Today I have a fun treat: a little update blog from our Love & Splendor coordinator, Michelle!  xo, Angel

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The past month has been busy, busy, busy!  We are gearing up for a fantastic season at some of our favorite venues and looking forward to discovering some new ones along the way!  Here’s just a glimpse of some of the things I’ve been up to lately…  Enjoy!

Well first of all, I must admit I’ve become addicted to Pinterest (you can find Michelle HERE and Angel HERE).  It’s not only a great source for wedding inspiration, but I’ve found it extremely helpful for finding amazing DIY crafts and delicious recipes.  It’s also been a great way of communicating with clients about various ideas or inspiration for their weddings.

One of our clients getting married next month saw this bocce ball pin on my wedding board and decided it’d be a fantastic addition to her cocktail hour at Saddlerock Ranch.  For those of you who’ve been there, you’d certainly agree!

originally pinned from 100 layer cake; photo by James Moes 

Here I am at Town and Country showcasing a table for the same client’s pre-ceremony cocktail hour.  The gorgeous table is part of T&C’s vineyard collection.

And for those of you just wanting some more eye candy of the gorgeous Saddlerock, here is a breathtaking picture of just a snapshot of the property.  Do you spy the giraffes — one of my favorite animals?  Unlike the other wildlife on the property, these guys are made of metal and so sweet in this setting.

I had the pleasure of meeting with another client and her mother at their venue earlier this month.  She’ll be saying, “I do!” at the beautiful and serene Rancho del Cielo.  Check out this stunning view!!  It was a crystal clear day when we were up there and you could literally see for miles in every direction.

I was able to attend a preview of the renovations at Marvimon and let me just say, wow!!  They did a fantastic job transforming the space.  I must say I’m in love with their awnings, red and green brick tiles, and the outside permanent bar updates the most.  You read that correctly: outside permanent bar!  It’s fantastic for celebrating!

Aside from working with fabulous clients, I’ve been redecorating my place from top to bottom and have found Pinterest to be an amazing resorce for all things pretty.  I have been able to view so many different sites and have pulled from so many places to make my place truly “me.”  I love coming home!

In love with this Moroccan stencil pattern from Royal Design Studio that I did across my dining room wall.  The starburst mirror is an added pop!

Sweet-smelling gold chevron drawer liners from Hammocks and High Tea in my new office desk…

great DIY project!  I found the perfect pair of antlers at the Melrose Trading Post, spray painted them glossy white and had them mounted.  They look unreal!

finally got around to creating a front door yarn wreath.  I love ranunculus and these faux babies make me smile every time I get to my door!

And last but not least, I wanted to share two tasty recipes I found on Pinterest which I was able to make for Easter dinner.  I’m typically in charge of desserts for all our family dinners because I have found my love for baking and have gottne more creative since the birth of my nephew three years ago.

these guys celebrated Christmas with us…

But this holiday I wanted to do something a bit different a found a meyer lemon bar recipe and a truly unique apple pie in an apple recipe.  I’m lucky enough to have a sister with a bountiful lemon tree (meyer lemons, to be exact!) so the lemon bars were a must.  Both were extremely simple (minus the time it took me to carve out 15 — yes, 15!! — apples) and highly recommended!

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading what we’ve been up to!  Have a truly amazing weekend!

xoxoxo, Michelle

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