How to Create an Autumn Cider Bar

Happy Autumn to everyone! Can't believe it is almost over and we are well on our way into Winter and 2016. I have been meaning to put this post up for over a month now but to say that life has been hectic this Fall would be an understatement. But today, on a perfectly overcast Fall day, I am cozied up with a warm cup of cider and ready to show you how Soul & Oak creates a wonderful Cider Bar for your holiday party, a la The Lumberjack and The Queen.

But before I do I have to give another huge shout out to another awesome collaborator. Christine Herrin created these amazing and beautiful paper goods to go along with The Lumberjack and The Queen Collection and they are just so beautiful. From the wedding invitation to the Cider Bar sign and the place cards, she did an amazing job. Check out her stuff here. I absolutely love her travel tag stamp set.

Aside from getting an amazing graphic artist to collaborate with to create unique and awesome paper goods to go with your Cider Bar, here is how you can easily make one at home.

1) Purchase or make cider - I purchased mine at Trader Joe's. I love both their Spiced and regular ciders that they have available. I needed 3 containers to fill up my beverage dispenser.

2) Get a hot beverage dispenser - I did not have one so I simply used a cold beverage dispenser. It looks prettier but wouldn't have been as functional when trying to mix in some of the yummy accompaniments.

3) Set out some great cider accompaniments in pretty dishes, carafs, or bottles - The accompaniments I used were rosemary, caramels, bourbon, and cinnamon sticks. Some other great accompaniments would be cranberry juice, orange slices, caramel sauce, toffee, and any other yummy treats you would use to liven up your cider.

4) Set out mugs

5) Decorate - The best way to decorate without having to go out and buy decorations would be to add any Fall fruit, veggie, or foliage. You could use more rosemary, apples, pomegranates, pears, pumpkins, or gourds, flowers, etc. I included items from The Lumberjack and The Queen collection which can be purchased here. Items included a flannel plaid table runner, gold painted bowl, re-used plaid shirt flag bunting, and gold painted pine cones.

6) Enjoy! Invite your friends over, put on some holiday music, light a fire in the fireplace, and enjoy the coziness and intimacy that comes with a warm drink on a cold night with friends.

#schoolofcreativemotivation

I'm starting something new today. It was an idea I had awhile back because I sit all day long and listen to podcasts. Podcast, after podcast, after podcast. And when I'm not listening to podcasts and working, I'm relaxing and reading a book. And most likely that book is some artsy fartsy business book. Because, you know what...I love professional development! I love learning! I love soaking in as much information as I can until I am sufficiently overwhelmed with ideas and motivation and strategies! I don't know if it's good to be overwhelmed with all of that stuff. Sometimes it can cause a paralysis through analysis complex. But that is beside the point. The point is that I want to share the knowledge I soak in every day.

There are moments when listening to podcasts or reading when I come across a quote or excerpt that makes me jump up and shout, "YES YES YES!!!!". Either it's a a-ha moment for me or I feel like someone just read my conscious or subconscious mind and replayed what was in there but much more eloquently. So as part challenge, part giving back to my followers, part a book for me and a book for all of you, I picked up an old fashioned composition book and every Thursday plan to give you one of my favorite quotes or excerpts for the week. Maybe it will be a great piece of advice or something valuable to reflect upon. I'm calling it the School of Creative Motivation. And like any good challenge, it has it's own hashtag...(insert Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake voice here)...#schoolofcreativemotivation.

This will be done mostly on Instagram but when I come across those really good ones that deserve more reflection, I plan to pop up a blog post about it on Thursdays as well.

Today's (seen below) is a really good one. I could write 100 blog posts about this very idea, and probably will eventually at one point. But today it will be sufficient to just give you what I wrote in the comments:

"First lesson for #schoolofcreativemotivation comes from Jen Lara of Upcycled Education as heard on podcast Elise Gets Crafty Episode 11.

I see so much noise and consumerism posed as art and creativity these days that it drives me bonkers. Hearing this was a huge YES! Very little I see adds value to the world and that is where my business and my industry don't mesh with my values. That is why I'm dedicating this year to refocusing my business so my art and my creativity actually will add value to the world rather than adding more consumer noise..."

Is this something other people feel? Would love to hear people's opinions on this. Please comment below.

When you find amazing collaborators...

It's been 20 days since I wrote my last blog post. WHOA! It's like I dropped off the face of the planet. And it feels like I totally did. But we can discuss that at a later date. Today, I'm here to give a huge shout out to an amazingly talented maker from the UK whose generosity and willingness to collaborate and help out other makers I totally admire.

I originally contacted Emma from Beau Tie to see if she wouldn't mind lending us some of her dapper plaid bow ties for a collaboration shoot I was working on in which we would be featuring "The Lumberjack and The Queen". She sent them out in a jiffy and was patient with us as we worked out the date and rescheduled and then ultimately had to cancel altogether due to situations out of our power. But before I sent the bow ties back to the UK for her collection, I snapped a few pictures of them. As you can see they are gorgeous and would really transform any man into an elegant lumberjack fitting for any lumberjack themed wedding or party.

You can find Beau Tie on Etsy here. Emma is a Fashion Graduate and she hand makes each item from carefully sourced fabric including vintage and recycled (a woman after my own heart). Her main ethos is to make each customer feel special, and to bring back the well dressed gent! You really should check out her store. The fabrics she chooses are beautiful, I especially love the floral fabrics. They create such a sophisticated and soft look. And she has bow ties for women and children, as well as gift sets, pocket squares, etc. She ships worldwide, does custom orders, and can send free fabric swatches on request. I really hope I get the opportunity to work with Emma again.



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Biz BFFs and Bacon and Brew

So much fun stuff is happening this weekend, I'm alliterating from all the excitement.

For those of you here in the Bay Area, this Saturday, October 10th is the 2015 Bacon and Brew Oktoberfest presented by The San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce. All the info is below in the event poster and you can get tickets online at Eventbrite.

Nothing like some bacon and beer to get you in the Fall spirit. I have to say that I am super bummed that I cannot make it but I hope you can all go check it out. 

And what does this all have to do with Biz BFF's? Well my Biz BFF is going to be set up there selling her awesome Handbrewed Soaps made with homemade beer. Her business is awesome. She started off making cold process soap to avoid using store-bought soap with all it's crazy unpronounceable ingredients (a woman after my own heart) and her husband loved brewing beer. Alyson (my Biz BFF) would experiment using different herbs and spices and one day decided to use her husband's homemade beer. And as her website says, they then decided to "marry their passions" and Handbrewed Soaps was born. I love it!

Alyson and I met through a business challenge. I decided to contact her to be my new Biz BFF since she is local here to Oakland as well and I am so glad I did. For any new business owners out there, get yourself a Biz BFF. It is so nice to gain an extra ear, motivational coach, cheerleader, sounding board, and  collaborative partner through your Biz BFF. I love relationships built around a mutual benefit of giving and supporting. With Alyson I have found an amazingly talented, passionate, and centered soul and I'm so excited to be her Biz BFF.

So if you go to the Bacon and Brew Oktoberfest, please go check out Alyson and her awesome soaps. If you have a hard time finding her, just look for the booth decked out in Lumberjack décor. That's because "The Lumberjack and The Queen" Collection will be accompanying Handbrewed Soaps to the festival. Their booth will have all the plaid and gold trimmings to appeal to the bearded, lumberjack, beer loving masses. And if you love any of the pieces, Alyson has so graciously offered to take pre-sale orders so buy a few Upcycled "Plaid Shirt" Cloth Napkins or a fun Upcycled "Plaid Shirt" Mixed Bunting. Heck, you can place a pre-sale order for a whole collection while you are at it. But don't leave without some soap. :)

Upcycled "Plaid Shirt" Mixed Bunting found on Etsy here

Designing and Creating a Unique Wedding Backdrop

This morning I was so excited to find myself tagged on Facebook in this photo.

"Happy one month anniversary Justin! You're proving to be an excellent husband.
Let's do more standing in front of pretty backdrops while holding hands."

Justin (the groom) is an ex-colleague of mine who proposed to his girlfriend Maggie right before they made the cross country move to Boston. I had the honor of meeting Maggie at my own engagement party over a year and a half ago and then when le husband and I visited Boston this last winter we got to catch up with Justin and Maggie in the midst of their wedding planning. Maggie was super excited to work with me to create a unique backdrop for their wedding. And I was super excited to have this opportunity.

Working with Maggie was so fun. Even though I have only spent time with her twice, I feel like I got the pleasure of getting to know her more through designing and creating this backdrop and she is such a kind, sweet soul. I just adore her and I can honestly say Justin is a lucky, lucky man. And I know he knows it. :)

The process of designing was so fun. There were back and forth discussions centered around a Pinterest inspiration board and then I put together a drawing different from but inspired by some of the backdrops that Justin and Maggie got most excited about. It ended up being 3 columns and 4 rows of hanging fabric chevrons with strips of paper bag hanging from each column and pine cones hanging from each strip.

Design work in progress

The next process was sourcing the materials. As I love to use as much reused material as possible, I already had the pine cones and paper grocery bags for the bottom layers of the backdrop but I had to find the perfect fabrics. This involved a lot of pinning off some of my favorite fabric websites (Etsy, Fabric.com, and Spoonflower) and visiting and taking pictures at some of my favorite local fabric stores (Stonemountain and Daughter and a A Verb for Keeping Warm). Maggie and Justin marked their favorites and I made some possible combinations for them to choose. I was a bit surprised that they picked exactly the combination that I would've picked but I guess I really shouldn't have been.

Left Fabric / Right Fabric

THE ONE!!!!
Left Fabric / Right Fabric

Left Fabric found at A Verb for Keeping Warm
Right Fabric found at Stonemountain and Daughter

I purchased the fabric and was ready to get going by July. However I put off starting for two reasons:
1) I was in the process of finishing wedding décor for a late July wedding, and
2) I was scared shitless.

Up until now the process had been fun and easy. I don't think I attributed my procrastination consciously to fear but looking back, it probably was due to that. And if it wasn't, it should've been. Just a month away from their wedding I started putting the backdrop together. To be perfectly honest, it was a nightmare. I expected to have it done in one week and it took 3 weeks instead. Luckily, I had some time to get it finished and sent off to Boston but I wanted so badly to get it out there to Justin and Maggie with plenty of time on their hands. Well, I got it to them just in the nick of time.

The reason it was a nightmare is that it took a lot of trial and error. The design is so simple to plan up in your head but the logistics of pulling it off doesn't always work due to many factors: the fabric stiffener doesn't work as well as planned, the yarn despite being cut the same length stretches and causes things to be crooked, the pine cones are too heavy. It was one thing after the other. And to be honest, this is kind of the best part of creating: the engineering and reengineering, the thinking outside the box. But with time not being on my side and spending day after day on something and then having to start over from the beginning on the third day, and then again many days later, it was just a little stressful. If I was scared shitless, I had every right to be. This project really stretched me. But I'm all the better for it. As a creative person, the best we can ask for is to be stretched by scary, intimidating projects on a regular basis that help us flex that creativity muscle and grow all the better for it.

And the ultimate benefit of all of it, Maggie and Justin loved it! Blessings to them for celebrating a first month of marriage and to many, many more.

On my end, I hope I can be blessed with many, many more scary, intimidating projects in the future.

P.S. Maggie will be sending me some more pics of the backdrop in all it's wedding glory in the future and I can't wait to post it up here for you all to see.

Inspiration for your own Lumberjack Party

Every time I put out a new collection, I create a new inspiration board on Pinterest dedicated to it's theme. It's such a fun endeavor and I'm always surprised to find how much there is, out there in the universe, that would be the perfect accompaniment to my collection in every aspect. You can find everything these days, man! I love to pull in wedding dresses, grooms attire, venues, food and snack stations, flowers, traditions, décor (of course), and more. All things that would create the oh-so-perfect wedding or event along with my collection.

You can find the inspiration board (which is and will continue to be a work in progress throughout the Fall and Winter) for "The Lumberjack and The Queen" Collection here, but below you will find my top 8 favorite finds so far. It wasn't easy to choose, I'll tell you that.

Reindeer candlesticks can be found here on Etsy.

Plaid bow tie from Emma at BeauBowTies found here on Etsy. Her bow ties will be featured in an upcoming inspiration shoot we are doing with "The Lumberjack and the Queen".

Fantastic Royal Stewart shoes found at Upper Street London. Don't know if they are still available but this awesome site allows you to design your own shoe so ask them for some Royal Stewart and your set to go.

This cake!!! Amazingly awesome, I could never eat it. It's made by Sucre Coeur and was found here on Flickr.

Please get married in the redwoods. Pretty please! I mean what is more lumberjack than that. Photo shoot found here and the location was in Portland, OR (of course it was!).

I love this guys red tartan shirt and her sweet red cardigan. That red cardigan with the pristine white of the dress is just brilliantly beautiful. Shoot found here.

Okay, so if you aren't going to get married in the redwoods, go find yourself some snow, a sleigh and throw a tartan blanket over it. Then take beautiful pictures just like these found here.

So, you've been invited to a lumberjack party? Or maybe you are the bridesmaid for a lumberjack wedding? This dress, this dress right here, is all you need. (From ModCloth)

Announcing Fall/Winter 2015 Collection - Part 3

So are you in love with "The Lumberjack and The Queen" yet? If so, this post will tell you all about how you can purchase this limited edition All-Inclusive Tablescape Collection for your Fall and Winter event and home decorating.

Pre-sale starts this Friday! October 2, 2015 you can purchase your own "The Lumberjack and The Queen" on Soul & Oak's Etsy shop here. Pre-sale prices make the Collection available to you for $100 less than the retail price, so it is a great idea to buy it now before it goes up on Friday, October 23. That gives you 3 weeks before prices go up to full retail price.

Full retail price for:

     2 tablescapes is $450
     6 tablescapes is $750
     15 tablescapes is $1350.

It's also important to remember two things. One, we have a 6 week turnaround time in creating and delivering the Collections to you, custom made, so it makes sense to plan ahead for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Fall or Winter Wedding. And what I love about this collection is you could honestly use it for all 3 with it's perfect rustic autumn vibe, it's ruby red hints of Christmas, and it's gold wedding elegance. And remember, each of our tablescapes is unique since we source reused materials so you know you'll have beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind décor featured at your event. Not to mention my second point, which is that each seasonal collection is limited edition.

The availability for pre-sale collections are as follows:

     2 Tablescapes - Qty 3
     6 Tablescapes - Qty 3
     15 Tablescapes - Qty 1

Post pre-sale I will sell 5 more each through the Fall and Winter.

I hope you love "The Lumberjack and The Queen" as much as I do.

Announcing Fall/Winter 2015 Collection - Part 2

In "The Lumberjack and The Queen" All-Inclusive Tablescape Collection you will find:

• Gold Urns
• Vintage Gold Candlestick Holders
• Mercury Gold Votive Holders
• Gold-Painted Branches and Pine Cones (1 for each place setting that can be used to hold escort cards)
• Red Plaid Flannel Runners, and 
• an authentic Mixed Plaid Bunting Banner

Extra accessories available include:

• Gold & Plaid Paper Garlands
• Framed Table Numbers or Art
• Plaid
• Cloth Napkins, and
• Gold Dipped Feather Décor

My All-Inclusive Tablescapes include enough decorations to decorate a full table and are availalbe for purchase in quantities of 2, 6, or 15 tablescapes.

Forget designing, sourcing, procuring, and creating for your event. With one swift and easy purchase you can have it all, with the peace of mind that your tablescapes will reflect elegant, handmade, unique, and eco-conscious designs.

That's because before we make any of our décor we experiment, explore, and analyze how each item can be made most cost-effectively and still save the Earth by reusing, recycling, and upcycling as much as possible. The hope is that less décor ends up in landfills and more of it ends up revived and loved as your event décor. Not only that, but we hope that our pieces are loved so much that you will continue to use them in your home and for family events for years and years to come. 

Our goal is to have 70% of the materials for our pieces coming from reused materials. Of the 11 items in this collection (including the tablescapes and the accessories), 5 items are created completely from re-used materials, and 3 items are created from at least 1/2 reused materials. We are eager to up that percentage as much as possible as that is the mission of Soul & Oak. However, we also remain conscious of keeping prices reasonable and keeping the aesthetic beautiful and sometime the reality is that new materials are a better option. We only make a decision to go with new materials after all possibilities of reused materials have been exhausted. 

Stay tuned tomorrow for more information about the when, why, and how you can get your hands on "The Lumberjack and The Queen"...

Announcing Fall/Winter 2015 Collection - Part 1

I'm super excited to announce that Friday, October 2, 2015 I will be starting the pre-sale for my second bi-annual All-Inclusive Tablescape Collection for Fall/Winter 2015. Originally, long before summer came I had the vision of a beautiful deep red plaid and gold color palette with rich ruby apples as the perfect accessory. As it developed I played with different names for the collection. I thought about calling it "Highland Gold" at one point to honor plaid and it's Scottish origin but ultimately my comical, playful side won out when I couldn't imagine naming it anything other than "The Lumberjack and The Queen."

What image does that create in your mind? I know in my mind I see the marriage of a rustic, rugged Pa Ingalls type man to a graceful, elegant queen like Grace Kelly. And as I think about them even more as I write this, I honestly couldn't think of a more awesome pairing. It's the same with this collection, a perfect marriage of cozy, rustic plaid mixed with the high elegance of gold.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Part 2 which includes a detailed description of "The Lumberjack and The Queen".

Monday! It's a Party!

Back to the blogging swing of things after the long weekend last week for Labor Day. I missed my beloved "Monday! It's a Party!" post. But to be honest, as I sat down at my desk on this Monday morning, I was kind of at a loss for the theme I wanted. Well, long story short, I have finally organized my bonus room well enough so while it is still our main storage, there is a nice portion of it that works super nicely for my office and workshop space. This was no small miracle. Our house has no storage or closets and so everything from linens and suitcases and camping gear and wine are packed into this room. Anyway, it's super exciting to have this space and as I sat down here for the first time and stared out the window directly in front of my desk I could see the beautiful garden that another tenant here maintains. Well, all the flowers inspired me to do come up with some awesome ideas for you all on a botanical themed party or wedding. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying my new office view.

From top to bottom:

1. These super cute cups could easily be duplicated by wrapping some adorable floral scrapbooking paper like this around paper cups.

2. Coming from the same adorable botanical birthday party here, the idea of a floral tablecloth to provide an excellent sweet table or photo booth backdrop. I like this one from Target, it's kind of fun and vintage looking and it's an excellent reuseable piece. 

3. I love the beautiful and dramatic effect of these white curtains shown for this wedding. How dainty and beautiful with the live flowers and foliage added! And super easy. Just sew them on.

4. There is nothing more botanical than classic botanical prints. I like this one and many others found on Etsy. My idea for these would be to frame them to create table numbers or names. Paint directly on the print or if you don't want to mess up the print, you could always paint on top of the glass of the frame.

5. And speaking of classic botanical prints, this beautiful garland would be an excellent edition to your soiree. For an excellent upcycled version, find magazines with lots of flowers, cut them into flags and string them up. Here's a how to, just replace the construction paper with magazines.

Jen in August

I have a few themes for this month...INSPIRATION, PROGRESS, LEARNING. Here's what kept me going through all of it.

Photo by Catherine at Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth
{Link to http://rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com/?s=chia+pudding}

EATING: Super easy and super yummy Coconut Chia Pudding

WATCHING: CreativeLive (on computer and in person)

READING: The Creative Habit

ATTEMPTING: More walks

WORKING: On Fall/Winter 2015 Collection (release date TBA soon)

Elle et Lui - August Update

This month started out as mentioned before, returning home from our road trip and Alexis getting his green card. And then...

Jen got invited to sit in the studio audience of a live class broadcasted all over the world.

​It was the most exciting and inspirational thing she's done since the journey of staring her own business. 

Alexis spent many hours on weekends and nights studying for a technical test that will hopefully get him into a new fancy job.

Algorithms are his jam.

Jen spent many hours on a project for a backdrop for a friend's wedding that she designed.

​It tortured her just a bit as it turned out to be way more complex to put together than she originally thought.

During a few relaxing weekends at home Alexis took Jen to the famous Brown Sugar Kitchen for chicken and waffles and a catfish sandwich.

​Yum!

Jen also started working on the wedding quilt which is coming together nicely.

​

And the last weekend they finally made it back to San Luis Obispo to get in some last summer days at the beach and spend time with friends and family.

The highlight was bodyboarding at Avila Beach and spontaneously matching with friend Allison as seen below.

​

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Hope you have all enjoyed your last month of summer and are looking forward to some fall fun. We definitely are!

Monday! It's a Party!

Everyone's back to school! What better way to celebrate the upcoming academic year with an adorably decorated Back to School party. Here is some amazing DIY décor for your Back to School party. And if you are unaware, there is this beautiful new trend of schoolhouse themed weddings which is absolutely adorable and elegant when paired with a vintage vibe. I highly suggest Google imaging "schoolhouse wedding" for some great inspiration.

From top to bottom:

1. Create adorable vignettes like this with vintage textbooks, vintage toy globes, and an upcycled coffee can decorated with chalkboard paint and some cute chalk art love. Throw some flowers in that can and you have awesome centerpieces.

2. Buy vintage pencil sharpeners to decorate tables. This one can be found on Etsy.

3. Find sentence strips, like these simple ones at Lakeshore Learning, and use them for signs or favor tag as seen here. If you want a pretty image on them, try painting or drawing it on yourself. I also love the idea of making these into paper chain for a theme-appropriate garland.

4. This is probably my favorite idea. The link is broken from this Pinterest picture but just get an old drinking glass and glue fresh pencils around it to create this absolutely adorable vase. Tie it up with some ribbon. I think the exact one seen in this picture can be found here on Etsy.

5. Follow this link that includes another link on how to make this super cute ruler table runner. Such a cool conversation piece and surprisingly elegant.

Bohemian Fiesta Wedding

About a month ago I was honored to be able to put the three branches of my business together to design a wedding for this very special couple. Coincidentally, they wanted a Bohemian Fiesta themed wedding so they were able to buy the Bohemian Fiesta Collection for 15 tables. However, they wanted a few custom things as well, which I of course was more than thrilled to create for them. Leading up to the day I made over 30 little tissue paper flowers for the tables as well as a few different items from the Bohemian Fiesta accessories. And last, I brought up a dozen or so or our rental items (lanterns, instax photo booth and props, chalkboards) to complete the design. The result...TOTALMENTE GUAY!!! That's "totally awesome" in Spanish.

The event was held at the bride's parents house outside of Eugene, Oregon. It threatened rain all day but never actually showed it's ugly face. I had an awesome team of family and friends with the ultimate goal of making this event truly special and did everything they could to provide me what I needed. The maid-of-honor's father was truly my fairy godmother. And the bride was so chill that no one worried much, even when a wasp's nest was found in the ground right next to the head table only an hour or so beforehand. We or course got it taken care of but without much sweat.

The bride was the epitome of a beautiful Mexican señorita with her gorgeous Grace Loves Lace gown, ruby red lips, jet black hair adorned with beautiful flowers and all. A few highlights that I can take no credit for are the piñata filled with mini tequila bottles (such a fun part of the party) and the variety of agua fresca available. And the photo booth with Spanish cartoon bubbles were a hit as you can see.

These fantastic pictures are taken by the bride's sister, Cheyenne, and friend, Bianca. More photos from the wedding photographer should be on the way.

Monday! It's a Party!

So last week I was inspired to do a surrealist party theme based on Dalí's house. I was transported back to my time at his home in Cadaqués while staying in the beautiful and hipsterlicious adobe in Portland, Oregon. I had mentioned that the adobe was like Dalí meets the Southwest which immediate brought to mind Georgia O'Keeffe. So this week, I bring you décor ideas for a fabulous Southwest Surrealism Party.

From top to bottom:

1. This party has it all. Amazing rugs, that fantastic orange vintage couch, and awesome poufs. If you can't find all that, at least find yourself a nice cow/steer skull for that ultimate Southwest Surrealist look. Here is one on Etsy.

2. Terra cotta pots, turquoise pots, pots painted turquoise...all would look fantastic scattered all around with some succulents or cacti. These DIY ikat pots are so fun.

3. Do this fun DIY and paint an old horseshoe to decorate tables. I personally would paint the horseshoe pink with some cacti, some other fun southwestern pattern, or just some stripes in your fun southwest color palette (like in this watercolor painting).

4. I just adore Southwestern textile rugs. This one is from Etsy. I would hang it as a backdrop, as a runner on a table, or even use it as a rug (what a novel idea!). :)

5. Okay, this fabric is just so funky I had to include it. It is the most "surreal" décor piece on here. Southwestern animal carousel fabric? So awesome.!With the colors I might change the color palette of the party a bit. Go with turquoise and pink. And the fabric could be used as a backdrop as seen here, or put into frames to hang or for tables. Even stencil some table numbers onto it for functional use.

Monday! It's a Party!

The inspiration for today's party came from the little adobe we stayed at in Portland, OR in the Alberta Arts District. It was decorated in this amazing vintage, southwest style but how eclectic it was really reminded me of Dalí's house in Cadaqués, Spain, except more southwestern. And the way I best describe Dalí's house is by calling it the ultimate hipster house. So the décor for an ultimate Dalí/Surrealist party can be found below. Maybe some Monday I'll do "Dalí Goes To New Mexico" and put a Southwestern theme on it in honor of our Portland adobe but for now, this goes out to you Dalí and your fantastic Cadaqués home.

Pictures taken by me on my trip to Cadaqués Spain in July 2012

The Adobe we stayed at in Portland, OR - July 2015

I didn't necessarily want to go with the most bizarre of the Dalí décor. As always I wanted it to look elegant, and to be honest, Dalí's house has a very elegant quality to it. 

From top to bottom:

1. These tipsy candlesticks are the ultimate surrealist table décor you can find really.

2. Buy or make your own sea urchin shell succulent holders for the tables. This one here is found on Etsy. Dalí's house in Cadaqués is right on the Costa Brava and he brings many elements of the sea into his house and paintings.

3. How cool is this surrealist photograph by Joel Robison found here? String up some balloons or get some helium balloons and attach tea cups and tea pots to the bottom as weights.

4. I found this awesome brass swan vase on Etsy. Might be hard to find multiples but this just looks so art nouveau and reminded me of the 3 huge white swans the preside over Dalí's dining room.

5. Eggs can be found all over Dalí's house and in his paintings. The symbol of the egg to Dalí represents the past life, intrauterine and rebirth. These awesome crochet pouches for eggs would look beautiful strung up as a bunting and could certainly add to the bizarre yet wow factor a surrealist party deserves.

Soul & Oak Nature's Palette - #sonaturespalette

I just finished a Instagram Challenge and Giveaway while we were road tripping through the Pacific Northwest and I wanted to explain more of what it was, why I did it, and the results. I created the hashtag #sonaturespalette to stand for Soul & Oak Nature's Palette. The inspiration for finding event décor color palette inspiration in nature came from my own wedding. 

I am from San Luis Obispo, I think I have made that clear. :) And there is this place tucked way back in the Eastern part of that county called the California Valley which very few people know about. To be honest, a lot of people from San Luis Obispo don't even make it out that way very often. The first time I ever did was in my mid-20s. In the spring it flourishes with the most beautiful wildflowers spread out over rolls and rolls of hills. It's gorgeous. Fast forward to a few years later I was in a fabric store and noticed a fabric that was mustard yellow and grey and it brought to mind the colors of spring in the California Valley and I thought, if and when I get married, I want this to be the color palette. And a few years later, it was...

California Valley - yellow flowers, grey accents in the hills
Photo by Michael L. Baird {link to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Valley,_California#
/media/File:California_Wildflowers_off_
Bitterwater_Rd_23Mar2010.jpg

A fabric like this reminded me of the color palette found in the California Valley
Fabric is by Color Theory by V & Co.
{link to https://www.etsy.com/listing/219196799/
mustard-yellow-and-gray-floral-fabric?ref=market}

The result in our tablescapes
Photo by Sarah Kathleen {link to sarahkathleen.com}

The result in the bridal party's dress
Photo by Sarah Kahleen {link to sarahkathleen.com}

So I thought it would be fun, while traveling through some of the most beautiful nature the USA has to offer in the Pacific Northwest, to find other fun event décor color palette inspiration. Although nature is the best source, I was open to finding it in architecture or life in general. I downloaded Sherwin-Williams Color Snap app found here to help me with the process of pulling colors from the pictures of nature that I captured. It's a really fun app to play with. This challenge was a way for me to stay connected to my new business and the artistic element of it while traveling and it was a way of trying to build a following on Instagram.

Pike's Place Public Market - Seattle, WA

Totem Pole on beach in Langley - Whidbey Island, WA

The end result: I loved the challenge and the new palettes I came up with daily that I may have not ever thought of before. As I would look at them, the decorations and style and theme of the party would develop and I would get super excited about opportunities to actually incorporate these palettes into an event. As far as building an Instagram following, well, I got numerous likes on the photos but maybe only a handful of people started following me from it and only one person actually signed up for the giveaway, and it was a friend (an amazing friend!). :) So, I guess my Instagram Giveaway was not the most successful. I don't know if I just don't have a big enough following yet, if the directions weren't clear enough, if the prize wasn't awesome enough. Needless to say I still need to tweak it a bit in the future when I do one again but I think I may wait awhile.

I wanted to post all the pictures here so you can see them in all their collective glory. The first four are my favorites.

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall - Portland, OR

Motel Hi-Lo - Weed, CA

Beach in Langley - Whidbey Island, WA

Fire sky - Ashland, OR

Oregon's weed - Ashland, OR

Lake day - Shaver Lake, CA

Duck at Mirror Pond - Bend, OR

Rose Garden - Portland, OR

Pristine blue waters - Crater Lake, OR

A friend's farm - Cottage Grove, OR

Beautiful sunset - Oakland, CA

At Belknap Hot Springs - McKenzie River, OR

Garden at Belknap Hot Springs - McKenzie River, OR