Meeting in the Middle - Hawaii Wedding

The inspiration for this wedding came from the bides love of pink! The only guidelines the bride and groom gave me for their destination wedding were the color and they didn't want the day to feel informal (as some destination wedding are very casual). All wedding planing I did with this couple via Skype because they live in Japan.
Since it was a small ceremony and reception (13 guests to be exact) I was all about making it personal and adding those extra details that are hard to afford when your hosting a big wedding.
There are extra hurdles whenever i'm doing an event/wedding outside of my bubble near my St. Paul studio. Traveling to Hawaii from Minnesota, a whole new set of things to figure out; the biggest being flowers: how I was going to get them and how I was going to keep them alive until the wedding. After doing a ton of googling Waikiki flower shops/wholesale flower resources, it dawned on me that they were all getting their flowers shipped in from the mainland and I was coming from the mainland. So I brought my own fresh flowers! I dry packed a big box of my flowers that I purchased on the friday before we left and paid the fee for an extra bag and checked them. I had to fill out a customs form (which I knew about because I called Hawaii like 3 times before the trip, making sure my flowers weren't going to get trapped in quarantine)  but that was it, no one even check my box; it couldn't have gone more smoothly!

The hotel said they didn't have buckets available for me to barrow (lame) so that was my next hurdle but when I got to my room and saw trash canes, I was like SWEET this will work perfect!

I only had one bunch of calla lilies get crunched in transit but everyone else was still in perfect condition. I chopped and plopped them in the 'water buckets' and made all the arrangements in the hotel room the night before the monday morning wedding. It was just enough time for them to rehydrate, open up and be beautiful for the ceremony and reception.

Other Wedding Details

The Wedding Ceremony took place on the Hala Koa Hotel property in the Japanese Garden.

Attire
Since the bride and groom weren't having a wedding party, I requested that everyone attending ware the wedding colors of pink and gray. Without being too matchy matchy, it worked out perfect!





Ceremony Decor
The gazebo got a new look for the day. We hung white, circular medallions made of shell from inside the gazebo and I used two pink table runners to flank the opening of the gazebo. above the entry I hung a spray of orchids and roses. I had other orchids to tuck in the pink cloth but once I had it together, it was just too much - less is more in this case!

For the ile I chose to make a swirl pattern with the rose pedals instead of the standard just tossing them at random. This helped with the bride and grooms of wish of a more 'formal' ceremony and it was just an extra detail that looked, according to the boys, "ITs Sweet Mandy".

Programs I made before I left. I chose to make them into fans since it was an outdoor wedding and people could get warm. I did my best to incorporate Japanese Kangi into the program and the paster did the service in both Japanese and English, which was very cool!

Reception Decor 

The Reception was a lovely lunch held in a small banquet room after the service. I opted for one long table so that the lunch was more intimate. I had brought gray linens with to layer over the standard white. I did 4 arrangements down the center of the table, keeping them low for easy conversation. 

Place card were made out of a pink patterned paper and I embellished with a Martha Stewart paper flower.  

The table favor is a pink leather photo album. The cover saying the new couples name and wedding date, the first page having a lovely thank you note to guest for their travel and presence at the wedding. Guests were encouraged to use the favor for trip/wedding pictures. 

Guest also wrote notes to the newlyweds on the photo matt guest book. I choose a pink medal frame to make it more personal to the event. 

All in all, the wedding was wonderful, full of love and the joining of not just two families, but also two cultures. I believe its a day that will be cherished byt all who were there.   

Thank you David and Midori for letting me be part of your special day! 

My Art Crush for April

I love, appreciate, and enjoy fine art. But when I go in an art gallery, its not very often that I wish I could afford to take a piece out with me. This was not the case when I visited Wyland Galleries in the North Shore Marketplace in Haleiwa Hawaii. I was instantly drawn in to the colors and bold patterns of one artist, Heather Brown. I  couldn't get enough of it! My boyfriend dragged me out, empty handed and we carried on with our vacation.
On the last day of our trip, we were strolling through the shops on Waikiki beach and I spotted it, one of Heather Brown's paintings printed on a beach bag! I ran in, checked the price tag...BINGO now this I could afford, what an awesome find. We were in the popular surf shop Rip Curl. I wound up purchasing a lightweight sweatshirt with a sunset printed on it. We chatted with the shop keepers about Heather Brown to get the scoop on this new art crush I had found.


Heather Brown is a local Hawaiian artist living in the North Shore of Oahu. Boy, she sounds like a busy lady! She sells her art and products all over including her own gallery in Japan. The inspiration for her art comes, quite obviously, from nature, hawaii and the landscape of the ocean.  Her colors are wonderfully sullied-shaded and softened so that they recall sun-bleached stucco and the comforts of old jeans and flannel pajamas. I love the quirky, lightheartedness of her work. although they are neat and organized, they are still very playful and organic.

Mad Hatters Tea Party and Fashion Show

On March 3rd, Design Vertigo hosted a wonderful afternoon of fashion, food, shopping and fun! Events like this one, is like a quadruple win for my business: 1.We invite the twin cites to the event through press releases, postings, advertising, etc. - even if they don't come, they hear about Design Vertigo.

2. Those who attend I get to meet, make connections, and network with. 

3. We sell Wilde Room product durning the event. (make $$)

4. Its an AWESOME event that creates good vibes, photos, and memories.  

Win win win win! So its totally worth it for my business to put in all the work it takes to host an event like this together. 

Now, let me give you the scoop about this wonderful afternoon:

See a great vido recapping the event + behind the scenes here!

At 2pm, the doors to K&J's Victorian Room  opened and guest were greeted by a space transformed for the occasion.  Fresh flower arrangements in tea pots and birch treas throughout, creating our wonderland. 

Party goers enjoy hors d'oeuvres made with love by yours truly, and amazing deserts provided so sweetly by Cookies and Cakes by Mary. On the food table, I used hat boxes and plate stands to create hight dimension and interest! Unfortunately, I never got a photo after we took the plastic wrap off (nuts!!) This assortment of tea sandwiches and skewers got GOBBLED up fast! The girls on food refill duty ran their butts off! (Thanks Jami and Sara!!) 

Menue

I wanted to keep things simple because I knew I wasn't going to have a ton of help before the show. So I made my mixes the night before and put everything together day of. Important Note- put your sandwiches together too early and they'll get soggy and bread will dry out. 

Tea Sandwiches:

Goat cheese + sprouts + Strawberry halves on Peita crisp cracker 

Best Ever Cucumber sandwiches on crustless bread topped with dill  (I have to find the recipe and post that)

Egg salad 

Salmon Patte on mini rye crisps 

Skewers:

Mozzarella + charrie tomato + fresh basel

Hard salami + cheddar cubed 

Veggies + greek yogurt spinach dip in individual tea cup

Deviled eggs

Sara is holding one of our mismatched tea cups that we put a big dollop of veggie dip in the bottom for individual veggie sticks + dips (with no duble-dipping worries).

While the ladies and gentleman sipping a cocktail or cup of tea they were able to check out the Wilde Room's Occasional Sale, Occasionally Wilde and pick up some great fashion, accessories and gift items.

Then, at 3pm the chic' and classic looks created by local fashion designer Gina Marie Vintage strut on to the runway.

Hair and makeup Amped up the drama on our customers turned models thanks to the girls down at BakkenWood hair studio and Makeup artist Tina Beaupre!

My original goal for this event was 50 pre-sales tickets and host 100 guest at the party. We beat that number by more then double. Woohoo! Love a good party!! Everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the food and the fashion show! And I LOVED that some guest wore hats!! 

If you love love this poster you can note that it was created by the fabulous, and a dear wonderful friend of mine, Keisha Bigelow (kmbigelow@gmail.com)  and Printing for this event was done by my favorite cool kids over at Senthor Creative in Stillwater. 

Please contact me if you'd like Design Vertigo to help you host YOUR next event.  Go to the Design Vertigo Event Page for details about upcoming events.

Amanda Wilde, owner of Design Vertigo, and Gina Landes of Gina Marie Vintage share many of the same philosophies when describing their design aesthetic; whether it is in Gina’s fashion or Amanda’s interiors. The joining of these two young and creative businesswomen made for an awesome party and fashion show.

 

As a native Minnesotan with a passion for apparel design, Gina Landes ventured out to Los Angeles, California at the age of 18 to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She later lived in New York City for the summer of 2009 while working as a trends and concept intern. After living in Los Angeles for three years. Gina moved back to the midwest to launch her clothing line, Gina Marie Vintage. This line is a collection of vintage-inspired heirlooms, created to be staple pieces in a women’s wardrobe and worn for a lifetime, not just a season.

 

North Saint Paul’s young Entrepreneur, Amanda Wilde, jumped into business in the summer of 2009 with a retail storefront, interior design studio and creating city events. In February of this year, Amanda made the decision to direct the focus of her growing business to the interior design and creative services that Design Vertigo was becoming known for. Moving the retail to an online showroom, The Wilde Room, and hosting local “Occasionally Wilde” sales has allowed Design Vertigo to be strictly a hub of creativity! Offering clients superior design services in the areas of interior design, visual merchandising and event design. Amanda is a graduate of CIDA accredited Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, WI with her BA in interior design and fine art.

Street Fashion, March

As I was out and about this weekend, I was noticing the fashion trends hitting the streets of Minneapolis. This is what I saw: Colored skinny jeans! black and white strips in dresses, tops and accessories, lots of feather prints (not sure how i feel about that), color blocking: each piece you wear is a different color- none 'matching' but all 'going', everything's belted and my favorite bright pink lip. Have you found yourself enjoying any of these fashion trends?  

In My Next Life...

I absolutely love the life I'm living, but being the chronic daydream that I am, I can't help but imagine what I want my 'next life' to be like. This is what I've got so far:
A goat (to make goat cheese obviously) and maybe a few other little animals,  babies! a whole house full, sprawling flower gardens WITH a sprinkler system, growing heirloom tomatos and selling them at a farmers market, cooking gourmet meals every evening for a loving hubby, actually doing a few DIY projects,  a really long wooden kitchen table to make memories at, ...oh, and a husband who makes lots of money so I can be a total homebody and enjoy everything mentioned above.  :o) haha...in my next life.

photo credit

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my make believe life photo credit

Little People Art

Finding different ways to save and celebrate your kids art work can be a challenge. Hanging it on the fridge is an old stand by but what else can you do to show your little one that their art is special. Below are a few ideas to help you celebrate the little artist in your life.  

I discovered this company and I think they have such a great prodcut! Its called Child’s Own Studio. They bring a child's art alive by turning a picture into a plush toy. Genius! It was an idea that launched one mom's home-based craft business that has now created a few hundred personal softies, each one as unique as the child who drew it. Child’s Own Studio celebrates children’s art and their imagination with every handcrafted one-of-a-kind soft toy.

A way to display your little picasso's masterpieces is to frame them. I like the idea of mixing your kids originals in a grouping with art from other artist, keeping in the same style or color palette. You'll be amazed at the fun pop this collection will add to a space. This might be the perfect arrangement for a guest room, office space or long hallway. I love the mix mashed frames as well as all the matching frames...each have a different vibe based on your current home decor. 

I'm also loving the idea of compiling your kid-o's art, maybe from the school year, into one coffee table book. This book would be an awesome keepsake that you and your artist can look back on over the years. Theres many online resources to upload scans of the art and get book printed.    

Wishing Away Winter

The winter blues get me every year at about this time... I've got cabin fever bad and I'm dying for some sun therapy.  So my current moody, grouchy self is finding pleasure in the surprisingly sassy. Check out what is making me happy...all with what my mom would call a bad attitude.

Via CamillaCotton

via The Wilde Room 

                     

2012 protests at Virginia State Capitol on women's rights

Happy International Women's Day!

Its the year 2012 and women's rights have come along way! I feel that I am personally living the 'American Dream'  and as a young, single women who owns her own business and employs women.  It wasn't very many years ago that I wouldn't have had this opportunity and I feel extremely grateful to the women who paved the way for me to live and work the way I choose.  You can see in my post from last March, what women have inspired my journey.
On this day I celebrate how far women have come, but I also ponder the journey that is still ahead of us. As a women in business I still see the way society underestimates me. I still struggle to receive respect and value in my work. I still hear the impact that a man's voice has when he repeats my exact words to the same group of people. I felt the immediate downgrade in the social ladder when I went from a 'married women' to a 'single girl'. I felt the doubt when I choose to live alone and when I made the choose to go into business as a sole proprietor. And I still laugh when a sales putz tries to take advantage of little ole young and dumb me.  Its interesting to see that the challenges and stuggles are still all around me. But the wonderful thing about being a women faces with adversity, weather its big or small, is we have each other and together we can continue to fight for women's equality and respect.

In this last year I have thought a lot about what it means to be a women. What I want out of my life and my business...and how I've always been struggling with the concept that I can't have it all: That if I want an amazing business, I'd have to give up having an amazing social life or when i'm ready to start a family, i'll have to give up my studio.  Then I read this wonderful passage from the Bible and went digging for the rest of the story and let me just tell you; it was like a weight got lifted off my shoulders and mind and heart became clear. I could have it all! As long as I was a good women and I had the Lord.  Please read about how one God-fearing women was an amazing wife, mother, and business women and respected and loved by all. I hope you're spirt is touched by Probers 31 like I was!

Happy International Women's Day!

Mad Hatter Tea Party and Fashion Show

Don't be late for this very important date! Design Vertigo is so excited for Saturday, March 3rd! We have planned a wonderful afternoon of fashion, food, shopping and fun... and I would love to invite YOU! Grab your girlfriends, a sister, mom or your man. Dress up if you'd like; this is a perfect excuse to dust off your favorite hat! You aren't going to want to miss this PARTY! Please RSVP for this event by purchasing your $4 ticket Here or at BakkenWood in North St. Paul. Tickets will be $7 at the door. You can also see who's on the guest list on Facebook.

At 2pm, the doors to K&J's Victorian Room will be open and transformed for the occasion. You will enjoy hors d'oeuvres made with love by yours truly, and amazing deserts provided so sweetly by Cookies and Cakes by Mary. While your sipping a cocktail (cash bar!) or cup of tea you can check out the Wilde Room's Occasional Sale, Occasionally Wilde and pick up some great fashion, accessories and gift items.

Then, at 3pm the chic' and classic looks created by local fashion designer Gina Marie Vintage will strut on to the runway. Amping up the drama and madness on our customers turned models wil be the girls down at BakkenWood hair studio and Makeup artist Tina Beaupre!

After the show you can meet the designer, place orders for any of the runway looks, take pictures with the models, and of course continue to party, meet and mingle! 

If you love love this poster you can note that it was created by the fabulous, and a dear wonderful friend of mine, Keisha Bigelow (kmbigelow@gmail.com)  and Printing for this event was done by my favorite cool kids over at Senthor Creative in Stillwater. 

Please contact me for press release info on this event. Go to the Design Vertigo Event Page for details about this event and more!

Window Shopping

1. Circle Medallions 

A Love Story Window
Design Vertigo's last window display was A love Story window for valentines day. Our media for this project was book pages - different size books and different ages (so the page color would vary).

Theres a few different things going on here:

2. Garland 

1. The First: the hanging circle medallions. (yeah, I could't think what else to call them.) We got the idea from this tutorial, but amended it to fit with the size and shape of the book pages we were using. Basically its just fan-folding enough pages and sewing the centers so they stay in place. A little putzy, but so worth it! These medallions hang at different lengths and there are two different sizes.

  

2.For the garland stung across the window, we used red yarn because it hung the nicest. to make the pieces on the yarn we just cut out a bunch of squares, varied sizes. lightly 'folded' to cut the heart  or hearts in the center. Folded the top edge over the yarn and stapled.

3. Hanging Hearts

3. Not dreaming of wasting all those perfectly good hearts we just cut out, we strung them together to make our third window element. this was way easy and just used tape in between two hearts with the sting sandwiched in the center.   

These three elements, all made of the book pages, layered together is a wonderful look. It turned out very sweet and delicate which is just the vibe I was going for. LOVE it! 

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies;And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes:Thus mellow'd to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.One shade the more, o­ne ray the less,Had half impair'd the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And o­n that cheek, and o'er that brow,So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,The smiles that win, the tints that glow,But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!
Lord Byron (1788-1824)