Nobody knows their way around a tablescape better than a wedding planner and Genevieve Roja has been fine-tuning her skills for years. As the founder of Lily Spruce, Genevieve shows brides that you don't need to sacrifice style to throw a sustainable event. We invited Genevieve to share her easy tips for creating a beautiful reception table, using a wedding she planned at San Francisco's Cavallo Point, as an example.
Take it away, Genevieve!
We fell in love with this romantic garden party over on Pottery Barn's blog, Inside & Out, and tapped creator Elka Karl (a former POPSUGAR Home editor!) for the skinny behind the DIY tips that took the look to the next level. From bejeweled place-card holders to a foolproof centerpiece, these eight tips can be applied to any event, big or small, romantic or otherwise. Read on for her clever repurposing and simple styling tricks, and start planning a party!
This year has been a big one for Queen Elizabeth II, as the British monarch has been celebrating 60 years on the throne with her Diamond Jubilee. The royal anniversary honors a woman who has been through a lot during her 86-year lifetime, including 12 US presidents and 12 UK prime ministers. After all, the record-breaking queen is the longest-reigning living monarch in the world. If you want to get in on Elizabeth's festivities across the pond, then we've got some ideas for throwing a royally fun Diamond Jubilee bash no matter where you live. Ahead of the UK's big celebratory Jubilee weekend (called the Central Weekend) beginning tomorrow, here's how to throw a party fit for a queen. With music, favors, and, of course, tea, check out these Diamond Jubilee party must-haves now.
While pumpkin carving and spiderwebs are fun, you may want something a little more mature for your All Hallows' Eve-theme shindig. For a more sophisticated ambiance, create a séance room without the usual suspects (velvet tablecloth, piles of old books) and blow your guests and ghosts away with your unique style. Not only will it make a great appetizer and gathering room, but calling forth the spirits will help break the pre-party ice.
Let the Table Shine
For more spooktacular tips, read more
There's something so civilized about a tea party. It's also a great opportunity to slow down and enjoy the simpler things in life, which is something most of us don't do often enough. So, forget the multitasking for a few hours, gather up your best girlfriends, and sit down for a chat and a cuppa. Make sure to serve some yummy biscuits, and brew up a strong pot of black tea.
Serve your tea in a truly charming teapot, like the Gien France Ronde d'Orient Tea Pot ($260, top row, middle right). Imported from France, this teapot's design was inspired by Turkish and Mediterranean ceramics. I love the orange carnations and contrasting cobalt blue designs.
Mix patterns with the Anthropologie Nifty Napkins Set. ($22, bottom row, middle left). This set of six cotton jacquard napkins is sure to make a splash when paired with the other eclectic patterns in your tea party set.
Shop the rest of the set, from sugar bowl to teacups to flowers and much more by clicking on each image.
Bunting has become a rather ubiquitous accessory for party decorating in the past few years. From weddings to baby showers to backyard barbecues, bunting can be found framing doorways or strung between trees, flapping in the breeze. Don't get me wrong — I still love bunting. I'm just craving something a little different. 
My first choice for an alternative to triangular bunting is this Hanging Lace Tassel Garland ($64). Made in Sweden, this lovely hanging lace garland is comprised of 21 delicate lace tassels. Each tassel is made from strips of lace that has been individually hand cut, bundled together, and fastened to a silky ivory, double-sided, thick satin ribbon.
Want to see my other favorites? Keeping reading for two more alternatives to standard triangular bunting
We're so thrilled to welcome back guest writer David Stark! Today, he shares the décor from a gala he designed for the Tony-award winning play War Horse.
Several months back, we worked with the National Theater of Great Britain to produce and design a gala in New York City coinciding with the opening of War Horse, this year’s Tony winner for Best Play. A couple of weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of seeing this incredible theater piece for the first time. It’s not unusual that we design events for cultural institutions without seeing the actual productions. Of course, that is not ideal, but it does create a great design brain teaser!
You might ask, “How do you design for something that you have not seen?” The answer? Research, research, research, and let the mind flow!
We never look to copy or replicate the magic that has occurred on stage, so in some ways, it is almost better to interpret the material, the time period, the vibe without watching the actual show. We research the era – in this case, World War I in Britain. We look at the set design, costumes, graphics, and story elements in detail. We think about the foods of a region and moment, the music, the styles of the times. And we think about our actual event space at hand. In our case here, the event was held in a grand tent that felt much more like an airplane hangar than an intimate party space.
The actual show is dark and filled with the angst of war and conflict, but parties are about celebration, so we hung on to a brief moment in the production, before the men marched off to war, where a countryside celebration in rural Britain unfolded. And then we had fun. We draped the tent in midnight blue to make it more intimately scaled and to conceal the unattractive hardware. We erected a fanciful maypole in the center of the room; its pink and blue streamers becoming an airy canopy overhead. We interspersed glowing strings of old fashioned festooned bulbs, and we elevated floral bunting above an array of rectangular tables set with mismatched china and field flowers overflowing from tea cups and other vessels. Grand portraits of kings and queens presided over the festivities on one wall and opposite, a giant drawing from the set of the rural town in Britain greeted guests upon arrival to set the tone for this fantasy location.
Keep reading for more details behind the design for the War Horse gala
We're more than halfway through July, and if you haven't yet taken the time to celebrate National Hot Dog Month, it's not too late! Gather your friends 'round and set up your very own hot dog bar, complete with delicious toppings, so loved ones can load their dogs with whatever their hearts desire. It's an easy and fun way to feed a large crowd, and would be great after a day at the beach or playing in the park. Click through for the steps and to see a recent bar I created!
Source: Flickr User dinnercraft
Sure, there's a football game going on, but for me the Super Bowl is all about catching up, watching the commercials, and eating. If you've decided to host a football fete for friends and family with lil ones, you'll need to have a game plan. Check out these last-minute ideas for hosting a kid-friendly Super Bowl party!
It's party time — rewrap the present! This is a fairly tempting practice when mom has a stack of goodies in the home from the holidays and some perfectly nice products that are going to be returned anyhow. Whether the giver is short on funds or has duplicate goods, there are parents that pass products from one kiddo to another. We asked moms for their opinions on the practice and here's what they had to say.
