It's Wedding Week on Food Network!

Yummy! Tune in for a week of wedding deliciousness. It all ends on Saturday with a complete day of episodes of your favorite shows, all with a wedding twist. Mmmmm.

It's hot!

It was 95 degrees today. Yes, 95 degrees on the coast. I'm melting and all of my plants and flowers are looking a little, well, wilty to say the very least. My containers of succulents, however, are loving this little heat spell. As I sit here sweating in front of my fan, I can't help but feel a bit of inspiration. How lovely would a modern Summer wedding or perhaps a fiesta-inspired reception be using a blend of eco-friendly cacti and succulents as centerpieces? This is a budget-friendly option as well as all of these arrangements could be assembled at home months before the wedding (or if you want them to look as spectacular as these, contact Succulent in Los Angeles.) With colors ranging from the obvious greens and sages to the less expected reds, yellows, and purples, I think this might be a plan I need to execute. And soon. Any volunteers?

The Perfect Party Pitcher

Every hostess needs at least one of these, though I'd suggest two. Margaritas, lemonade, or iced tea- it all looks better when served in here (with a pretty label tied on with ribbon, of course).

Gryphon Stationers

I receive countless emails daily from retailers and designers asking me to post about their products. Needless to say, I am usually left less than impressed or inspired. Trina from Gryphon Stationers, however, threw me for a loop. The quality and range of invitations and stationery on her site are beautiful. A bit about the company: "Borrowing from their twenty years of experience in designing identity packages, websites and collateral material for the most discerning clients, Gryphon Stationers provides a variety of invitation designs ranging from weddings, baby showers, or general stationery in styles created for people with a modern sensibility and elegant taste."

The perfect flower girl dress?

I had three flower girls. THREE. (Though only two actually made it down the aisle). I really thought that finding their dresses would be easy. Needless to say, I was wrong. Oh yes, there were a ton of choices, but some of them cost more than a small fortune. It all came down to the fact that there was no way I could ask my cousin to pay not only for her bridesmaid dress but also TWO flower girl dresses at $250 each. And the lesser priced alternatives? They looked, well, lesser. Had this one been around at the time, this most definitely would have been my pick.

Couture Bridal Market : Erin Cole

I realize that at some time here in the next few days I need to clarify my role with Erin Cole. Until then, take a look at what we were up to this Market.

You'll be seeing a lot of this veil. Trust me. You saw it here first! It started out as a runway and advertising piece and now stores are buying it as stock. It's that fabulous.

Work, work, work (and eat, eat, eat)

New York was great, albeit very busy. We bought, we sold, and we ate. A lot. Here's proof. It went by way too fast.

A nice little game of "king's corner" and a couple of pints of ice cream. This has become the standard end of evening treat for these trips.

Sushi with Los Angeles Weddings Magazine and Rivini

The best margaritas ever with Rita and Tony (Rivini)

My very first New York hot dog. Inhaled in less than three minutes.

Cheery cherry blossoms

I truly love cherry blossoms. Look hard and you'll find a couple around here in Long Beach (there are a bunch on the campus of Cal State Long Beach). If you don't have any near you, you can make them a la Martha. I think this would make for the start of a great girl's birthday party.

Off to Market!

I'm off to New York for Market until Wednesday. I can't wait to see what everyone has cooked up for the Fall. Will post highlights next week. Enjoy your weekend!

image: Judd Waddell

Pretty Pom Poms

Now I am no stranger to making Martha's famous paper flower poofs (I made about 200 of them for my wedding), but I was pleasantly surprised to see this souped-up model.

Oh my, I'm in LOVE

Perhaps one of the most fabulous gowns I have seen. Ever. I love everything about this bride. She has absolutely fantastic style. Oh my goodness. All images from Aaron Delesie.

Karen Smallbone

I just received an email from Melody, my baker buddy, about Karen Smallbone, a packaging company out of Canada. As no guest should ever leave a party without a favor, I am always on the lookout for companies that offer clever, custom packaging solutions that don't fall into the category of tacky or cheesy (easy to find in this business). I can't imagine anything you would need to package for a party that you couldn't find a container for at this site.

OK, this last one is obviously not a product for sale, but it is Karen's home office. Oh, to have a ribbon wall such as that!

Happy Birthday to me

Birthday girl is going to start celebrating a bit early with a little shopping spree. This little number seems to be a good start. I imagine by Sunday (my actual birthday) I'll have a whole new wardrobe (or nothing at all given my recent failed shopping excursions).

Modern and lovely

I refer to the photos from this wedding from Los Angeles Weddings Magazine quite often. I truly love everything about it. Unfortunately I do not remember the details (location, vendors, etc.) and I can't seem to find the original link. If you know, let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

photgraphy: Tyler Boye