From Garden To Table ~ Homegrown Blooms

by Natalie

Last weekend I enjoyed some rare weekend off activities. I got to do some gardening, photography, and hanging out with my favorite peeps, my husband, doggie babies, and neighbors.

One of the most rewarding parts of the weekend (not my tank top sunburn) was taking some of the outdoors inside. We’ve been working on our garden since the spring of 2007 and it has gotten so full now that I can actually feel fine, even proud, about taking our garden cuttings inside to place in vases.  You just can’t get any more “local” than that and I encourage everyone to try it for themselves. Even if you pick some pretty little wild snapdragons by the sidewalk it’s bound to bring life and joy indoors. I personally can’t help smiling every time I walk by them sitting there on our table and in the Midwest, we all have to enjoy the season while it’s here.

Our peonies are especially ginormous! We have three huge plants of these stunningly blush, turning ivory blooms that are absolutely to die for and one day I hope a client’s wedding will line up with their blooming so I can blow everyone away with their beauty! (aka, make them weep with awe)

We also have one yellow tree peony which yields the most beautiful buttery blooms. It’s a fickle little girl and only give us a few blooms a year so far, so I had to bring one inside to absolutely marvel over.

One of my favorite plants that we have grown is a huge climbing rose that reaches about ten feet each year, up over our garage, and covers itself in the most radiant coral-red roses. I clipped one rose and a few pretty pieces of foliage and placed them in this special little bird vase that I very rarely find suitable blooms for. These wild tiny beauties are the perfect complement to its shape.

More to come from the the garden to table series, but for now I’m off to he market for this week’s event blooms.  I leave you with a “bunch” of my other favorites that are blooming and thriving in our yard as I type. I’m seriously so in love with them all! I truly never, ever, EVER tire of flowers or plants. I don’t know how it could be possible.

Wisteria

Tea Roses from my sister in law Nancy

Japanese Maple

Climbing Roses

Hardy Geranium and their most lovely shadows

Ladies Mantle and their magically velvet leaves

And last, but not in a BAGILLION years least, Solomon Seal, Queen Majesty of the Fairy Flowers, sigh……

Flowers for The Everygirl at BHLDN

by Natalie

Last Tuesday night we had a fabulous time toasting to the launch of Wedding Week on The Everygirl, hosted by TEG founders, Alaina Kaczmarski and Danielle Moss, at the ever chic BHLDN.  We added a bit of "Darling" flower style to the evening's festivities and I wanted to share the loveliness with you!

Giant hosta leaves, antique hydrangea, peonies, fern, stock, and veronica spilled from one of our vintage urn.

Guests enjoyed the lovely libations created by Revae Schneider of Femme Du Coupe and I decorated her bar with one of my favorite deco vases filled with lavender hyacinth, fern, camellia, parrot tulips, and Juliet garden roses.

This petite jadite number held sweetly scented peonies, fern, ranunculus, and scabiosa. I'm just obsessed with the delicate shadows the ferns cast and have to use that for a lighting plan soon!

A curvy ivory urn arrangement was nestled into the serene bridal studio where I had to fight back the urge to try on every… single… dress… I laid my eyes on!

Another one of our vintage jade lovelies decorated the dressing room and clearly couldn't stop gazing at itself all night!

We provided flowers for the Smilebooth as well, so naturally I dragged my friend and fellow event entrepreneur, Elaina Vazquez, of Boutique Bites  into a some sassy shots with me. (Secret: I live for a good photobooth session and have been kicked out before for "hogging" it, whatever...I always bring a line of enthusiastic friends WITH me!)

So much bridal inspiration has been revealed during the extended Wedding Week that we have had a hard time keeping our excitement to ourselves.  From the Bouquets I created for the bridesmaids and bride shoot, the table we styled with Anne Book at The Ivy Room and the following spreads by Camille Styles, Cassandra LaValle of Coco+Kelley, Celeste Dolan of Celestial Kitchens, Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty and today's interview with sweet celebrity wedding consultant Mindy Weiss we have just been bowled over by beauty!

We’re excited to announce that we have some creative Everygirl floral styling projects in the works so stay tuned!

Wedding Week On The Everygirl, Day 5

by Natalie

Today our "How to Style a Wedding Table" feature that we created with wedding planner, Anne Book, has been posted on The Everygirl and we're jumping for joy!

Our table was set in the Hidden Courtyard behind the lovely Ivy Room. We graciously appointed the table top with our vintage collection of cut glass vases completely bursting with my favorite spring blooms of coral charm peonies, parrot tulips, sweet pea, and trailing jasmine accompanied by bowls of sparkling citrus and delicate lily of the valley.

We absolutely fell in love with this color palette as we were putting all the ideas together with Anne and we could not be happier to share them with you!

We thought it would be so special to attend a garden party and walk away with a little piece of the garden as a memento so we create these petite hand tied favor nosegays tied with gold cording. What do you think of that idea?

What is your favorite detail of this table?

This is our third feature this week on The Everygirl and it has been such a fabulously fun project to be a part of. They've got so much great contect that they decided to add another week! Check back each day for more charming ideas.

Wedding Week On The Everygirl, Day 3!

by Natalie

Yesterday we were tickled pink to see our blooms make their debut on The Everygirl's Wedding Week, Day 2, budget-friendly bridesmaid feature.  Today, brings more whimsy in white with attainable awe-inspiring looks for the bride paired with Hello Darling's bouquets and one big and beautiful floral hair piece. (We see this is a must have accessory for our style maven brides.)



I don't know when Alaina and Danielle, founders of The Everygirl, ever sleep! They've packed so much pretty into this shoot you'll die!

All photos are shot by Stoffer Photography and we are truly in awe of the amazing job they did from details to room shots!  The shoot was just a few blocks away from Hello Darling's studio at the airy and eclectic interior design firm, Buckingham ID. How much do you love this folk art cello? GORG!

Wedding Week is already blowing our minds but there's so much more to come.  We are biting our nails with excitement, awaiting our last Wedding Week Feature, the spread that we put together with Anne Book Signature Style.

Full features of Day 2, Bridesmaid Style and Blooms here, and Day 3, Bridal Style and Blooms here.

Don't toss your bouquets yet ladies! The reception hasn't even begun...

Wedding Week On The Everygirl Has Begun!

by Natalie




I ran to my computer this morning (before working out, funny how easy that was) to check out Day 2 of Wedding Week.  You may have seen some sneak peek shots of Wedding Week featuring our bouquets and hair flowers but today our sweet and stylish collaboration with The Evergirl is unfurling it's fashionable petals, photographed by Stoffer Photography.  I couldn't wait to design and create all of the florals myself after getting my hands on the style sheets for this shoot and you'll see why. These bridesmaid looks are budget friendly, feminine, and completely fab.

It's only day 2 of Wedding Week and day 1 of seeing some Hello Darling floral goodies but we LOVE what The Everygirl has cooked up already.

Visit Everygirl each day for fresh inspiration!  Bridal looks and Hello Darling blooms will be popping up tomorrow and a jaw-droppingly gorgeous spread that we proudly petal propped with our friend Anne Book is yet to come as well.

Tonight we're attending and floral styling the Everygirl launch party at BHLDN and we can't wait to see so many of our friends while enjoying cupcakes from Sprinkles cheesy grins at Smilebooth spirits from Femme du Coup and delish bites from Celestial Kitchens. Photos to come!

Happy May Day ~ Francophile Style

by Carolyn

It is said that the French tradition of giving lovely little lily of the valley on May Day began all the way back to May 1, 1561 when King Charles IX of France was given a sprig of the lovely and sweet smelling blooms as a token of luck. Every year from then after the King presented the ladies of his court bunches of lily of the valley on May 1st to wish them luck and prosperity in the new spring season, and the tradition continues to this day.

So, on this slightly overcast May Day we want to share with you our favorite little cluster of beautiful lily of the valley, and wish you luck and prosperity in life and in love this spring!

BHLDN SALE ~ stylish décor details

by Natalie

If you read out our post on the opening of Chicago’s very own BHLDN boutique back in February then you already saw us swoon over some of these items that are now on an unbelievable sale! Get it while it’s hot ladies! I’m sure they’ll go fast. Here are a few of my sale faves but there are all so some stunningly sweet dresses, glittery pumps, and a slew of fab accessories!

Hello Darling + Anne Book = Wedding Week

by Natalie

We are head over heels for sweet sorbet palettes mixed with warm metallic golds right now so when our fabulous friend Anne Book of Anne Book Signature Style invited us to collaborate on a table top wedding style shoot for the smart and savvy blog, The Everygirl, we immediately sprang into OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Design) high gear to put together what is one of our most glorious tables to date. The full table and all of the darling details were shot yesterday at the The Ivy Room and will be featured during The Everygirl’s Wedding Week, beginning May 7th!! 

We’re in such amazing company during Wedding Week with additional inspiration from stylist Camille Styles, Cassandra LaValle of Coco and Kelley, Sarah Tucker of Sarah Tucker Events, BHLDN wedding boutique,  and Abby Larson, founder of Style Me Pretty. Be sure to check back each day for a new batch of beauty.

We have some other fun projects in the works with The Everygirl for wedding week and beyond, but we thought we’d give you a sneak peek at the coming gorgeousness with the lovely styleboard that Anne so lovingly put together for her blog. 

Thank you Anne Book, you stylish little mama! Big MWAH to the ladies at The Ivy Room for hosting our shoot, and cheers to the fabulous Danielle Moss of The Everygirl for photographing our goodies!

Celtic Spring Wedding at Peninsula Chicago

by Natalie

On Saturday we helped celebrate the marriage of not one, but TWO Gallagher's! Both bride and groom already shared the same last name so it was clearly destiny.  (And our lucky bride, Rose, won’t need to waste a post-wedding moment changing her name!) Our friend Darcey, of Big City Bride, was the planner behind this elegant occasion which reflected the couple’s Irish heritage with sweet and subtle nuances.

Rose carried a soft and sweetly scented bouquet of blush peonies, ranunculus, and mini calla lilies with accents of lavender lilac and precious lily of the valley finished by a green ruffled collar of galax foliage while her darling groom, Patrick, wore a simplified duo of ranunculus and lily of the valley with a galax leaf back.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen added a bit more color to the ceremony at Old St. Patrick’s Church with additional pops of fuchsia, peach and blue, intermingling  Juliet and Baroness garden roses and delicate Lovely Lydia spray roses with regal blue satin ribbon treatments into the pastel color palette .

As guests entered the reception held at Peninsula Chicago, they were greeted by a tall green, white, and blue escort card arrangement of calla lilies, bells of Ireland, and delphinium surrounded by crisp green edged escort cards created by our dear friend and fellow perfectionist, Sarah Drake, which reflected the design of the stunning programs.

The ballroom came to life with a colorful and celebratory flare filled with high and low centerpieces in simple glass cylinders detailed with regal blue ribbon bands showcasing lush flowing blooms of hydrangea, calla lilies, delphinium, peonies, lisianthus, garden roses, bells of Ireland, lilac, lady slipper orchids, and tree ivy.

The head table was decorated by petite vases to hold the bridal party bouquets along with a trio of coordinating arrangements with additional stems of fragrant spring hyacinth.

The cake was detailed with custom emerald ribbon bands and I placed a cascade of blush peonies, lavender spray roses, and tulips down its tiers to the petal covered tabletop adding sweetness and grace to the classic design.

The entire day was completed with perfection and ease and I feel very lucky to have been a part of the pretty details.

Congratulations to the Gallagher's!  We’re so happy our road could rise to meet you on your wedding day and we know the wind will always be at your back!

Until we meet again, Sláinte!