Wedding Photograper? Cake Baker? Floral Designer? We Want You!

Dearest SJE Readers,

Are you an up-and-comer in your biz? An artist, a bad-ass, a pro? If so, or if you know of some, we want to hear from you!

SJE is all about discovering the best new wedding and party-related vendors in the Los Angeles, Orange County and South Bay areas ~ we know SoCal is brimming with tons of talent, so if you are (or know of):

~ A photographer/Videographer
~ A makeup artist
~ A floral designer
~ A graphic/stationery designer
~ A Baker
~ An accessories designer
~ A musician/entertainer

...or if you provide any special services that you feel would be especially great for parties and weddings, please do give us a shout. We'd love to not only feature your work on the Sweetest Things blog and with our Facebook community, but actually connect with you in the hopes of adding you to our ever-growing roster of top-tier vendors.

Sweet June Events is a relatively young company as well, and one of the best things we can all do is become resources for one another. Our business has plenty of established pros, but we want to hear from super-talented folks who are ready to grow their business and who are willing to work within a client's budget ~ no matter how modest.

Ready to network? Great! Just send us some photos/videos of your work and a quick blurb about you and what you do (as well as any website or blog info)...and so the fun begins!

Looking forward to meeting you all!

XO SJE

*image courtesy of Tracy Stern’s new book Tea Party: 20 Themed Tea Parties With Recipes For Every Occasion, from Fabulous Showers to Intimate Gatherings

Sweet Decor Idea: Framed Chalkboards

We love the idea of using framed chalkboards in party and wedding decor. Whether it's to write something as simple as the menu, or to tell a little story, or to instruct your guests, these are a fun, decorative solution and they offer instant style.

We found some great ones on Etsy (of course!):

From Polkadots n' Pinstripes' Shop

Large White Vintage French-Inspired Framed Chalkboard


Chalkboard Magnetic Memo Board Oval Metal Frame from Shabby Vintage Mom's Shop:


Mini Day of the Dead Chalkboard in Orange from Kitty McFar's Shop:



Antique Framed Chalkboard from Rowan's Room's Shop:


Purple Ornate Chalboard Frame from Nonookyes's Shop:


And this one...so cute! From K9Gifts.com:


Actually, we're told this is a fairly easy D.I.Y. project - just buy some frames at Goodwill or a garage sale! We've included some instructions below. Send us pics if you decide to do it and we will feature them!

Supplies

Large vintage or secondhand frame

Chalkboard paint

Pencil

Masking or painter's tape

Nails, hammer, paintbrush/small roller

Instructions

Place the empty frame on the wall in the exact place you would like to have your chalkboard. Have someone hold it very steady, or actually nail it on the wall. Using a pencil, trace the inside perimeter of the frame directly onto the wall. Remove the frame from the wall.

The next step is to tape the area off. Place tape along the lines you have drawn, not flush against the pencil marks, but about an inch away. This will create a space in the same shape, but about a full inch larger altogether than the pencil outline. Erase the pencil marks.

Place the frame back over the area, and make sure you can't see any tape from any angle. (The boundary of the tape now represents the unpainted wall, and what you will be able to see once the project is complete.) If necessary, adjust the tape lines so they are covered completely by the frame. If this is difficult, your frame's edges may be too thin/narrow.

Happy Crafting!
xo SJE

Brilliant Save-the-Dates with Tutorial!

Oh my! We happened upon these adorable Save-the-Dates via myweddingreport.com and had to share because there is also a fantastic, truly step-by-step tutorial included! It looks like there's a bit of work involved, but the result is definitely worth it! The pull out date...can you handle it? So cute.

Feast your eyes...



For a complete step-by-step guide on creating your own, here you go:

DIY Save the Dates How To

You can also see more detailed images of these on the bride's Wedding Bee posts. here: http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/05/27/save-the-date-for-the-ducklings/.

And for another great example from a Ms. Martha Stewart (not sure if you've heard of her, but apparently she has some good ideas ;), see below!

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Enjoy!

Get Schooled by Creature Comforts!

If you're looking for some champagne taste/beer budget-style favor/gift ideas, look no further! Creature Comforts offers some really wonderful D.I.Y. tutorials that are so delightfully do-able, it'll surprise even the least craft-astically inclined! Check out one of our faves for paper-wrapped soaps here:

http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/diy-paper-wrapp.html

They even give the option to download printable labels! Visit their Freebies & Tutorials section often!

{Printable} Parties By Hardie on Etsy!

We LOVE this idea! Parties By Hardie has created a fantastic concept - "printable" parties! Everything you need to throw a playful, colorful, fun themed kid's party all in one PDF file ~ just print and cut! To get the idea, here's what the Ladybug Printable Party kit contains:

party hats
favor bag toppers (two styles/sizes)
place cards/food label cards
square tags/labels
fill-in invitations
thank you cards
flower shaped thank you cards
tags (1.7 “, 3”, 5”)
favor box
"The party's here" signs
crown (3 styles)
triangle birthday banner
flower birthday banner
mini patterned paper banner
patterned papers

To see more photos of everything in this kit and what you can make with it, see PBH's party blog: www.partiesbyhardie.com.

SO Cute! Perfect for all of us time-crunched folks who are thoughful, but overscheduled :)