pretty in purple

of all the projects i am blessed to be a part of, i think bachelorette parties are the most fun.

i love seeing how excited the bridemaids are to shower their sweet friend with love and attention.

this bride's favorite color was purple, so we updated the invite to match accordingly!

we also included a lingerie shower card and a weekend schedule. 

the schedule piece is definitely my favorite part.

every girl loves to be prepared when they go off for a weekend with the girls, so we paired the set with a weekend schedule card! this piece is completely customizable, whether you're hanging by the pool, having a spa day, or taking on the town, the schedule pieces can be updated to match the occasion.

need a custom invitation?
check out my etsy shop!

it's tea time :)

one of my favorite things about fall is drinking warm drinks from huge mugs.

something about warm tea on a cool morning just brings a little peace and joy to my soul.

coffee is pretty yummy as well, but nothing beats a giant mug of slightly sweet lady grey tea.

Source: google.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

there is something about china tea cups that makes me feel like i'm taking a trip back in time, drinking tea with the queen or i'm living in a fairy tale. what can i say, i like to play pretend. :)

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

it is highly likely that the girls in my small group will be receiving something similar to this for christmas. i don't know who wouldn't love a gift like this, and it's so simple to put together. perfect gift for a group!

Source: bhg.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

the ultimate tea pot collection. my heart is melting.

Source: betterhomesgardens.tumblr.com via Abdessamad on Pinterest

i'm 97% sure i will be having a tea cup display like this in our next apartment. i have the wall already picked out.  what's the point of having cute mugs and containers if you have to keep them behind closed cabinet doors??

Source: thecreamtomycoffee.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

cinnamon rolls are the perfect companion for a morning tea party don't you think??
then again, when are cinnamon rolls not perfect??
:)

Source: eat-yourself-skinny.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

p.s. i'm participating in my first giveaway! :)

my items are an 8x10 tea cup print and 2 personalized tea mugs! yay!

head over to ms. jen's lovely blog, that's what she read, and check out all of the lovely items and enter the giveaway!!

a lovely weekend for a wedding! :)

4 flights,

2 3-hour car rides, 

1252 miles.

the last 36 hours, yes, only 36 hours, have been nutso! 

we started out bright dark and early on saturday morning and headed to the airport to begin our trek to eureka springs, arkansas.  as i was moaning and groaning and threatening my alarm clock, i had a reality check. some people wake up at 6 am on a regular basis...bless your hearts.

two flights and 1 1/2 hazelnut lattes later (thanks for your sacrifice bub-hub!), we met the rest of my family in tulsa for the last leg of our road trip.  nothing gets the abs rolling more than a car full of family members. :)

after a long day of traveling, we finally arrived at the cabin we were going to be staying at for the night. we unloaded, recharged our batteries freshened up, and headed to town to grab some dinner before the festivities began.

side note:

in case you're ever in a life or death trivia match and need to know where the world's largest wind chime is located, it's in eureka springs. you're welcome! :)

after a yummy dinner, we headed over to the world's most beautiful wedding venue:

the thornhill chapel. 

before we headed into the chapel for the ceremony, we had a mini-reunion in the parking lot! :) after lots of hug (but never really enough) from grandparents, we were ready for a wedding!

the chapel itself was beyond beautiful and didn't need any additional decorations. however, at the front of the church, the bride placed a lovely backdrop made of strands of lace. it was the perfect touch. 

after the ceremony, we headed over to the reception at castle rogue manor.  the only way to describe this place is the word fairy tale.  

when we first arrived, we were greeted with a hot chocolate bar, apple cider and yummy coffee! 

there was also a lovely pie bar set up. everything was homemade and so yummy. 

and yes, the groom's cake is an armadillo. 

the groom is from amarillo, a town in west texas, so the little guy fit in perfectly. and luckily, it wasn't red velvet. :)

each place setting was set with a piece of antique sheet music, china, and silver wear. each guest was also given a lovely tea cup to visit the hot chocolate bar! there were also beautiful paper cranes spread out around the room. so lovely.

i know i say this a lot, but i really love my family. 

they are so fun,

they love to dance and laugh and celebrate together, and i absolutely adore every moment i get to spend with them.

and just when you thought the evening couldn't get any better, 

the paper lanterns came out.

yes, paper lanterns! just like in tangled! 

they were so beautiful floating floating off over the pitch black lake. 

i really felt like i was in a fairy tale. 

it was the perfect way to end the night.

after the bride and groom left, we headed back out to the cabin to pass out get some sleep, before we said goodbye to the beautiful weather and headed back home the next morning.

after a reversal of our journey, we finally made it back to hot and steamy h-town.

needless to say, 

bub-hub and i are exhausted.

any family time, however short or busy or chaotic it may be, always fills my heart.

best wishes and congratulations to the newlyweds! :)

mr. and mrs. chastain: part 9

no reception is complete without a bouquet and garter toss!  my girls were such great sports, and they were all ready for a fight.  i think the photos make it pretty obvious who won...

even though steph is already engaged,

she said it couldn't hurt to catch the bouquet...just in case. :)

and then the garter toss!

bub-hub's brother caught it.

keepin it in the family after all! :)

our exit was one of my favorite parts of the night.

growing up, sparklers were always my favorite part of the fourth of july,

so i was thrilled when our reception venue gave us the go ahead to light 'em up!

and so we began our life as mr. and mrs.!!

thanks for sticking around for the whole story! 

if you missed anything, or just want to revisit, check out the links below! :)

part 1 | part 2

part 3 | part 4

part 5 | part 6

part 7 | part 8

all photos were taken by Jana at bella bee photography.

the wedding was coordinated by Rhonda at precisely as planned. 

inspiration for a bachelorette bash! :)

last weekend i had the honor of throwing my sweet friend's bachelorette party!
i had so much fun planning and crafting and creating, it was definitely a fantastic time all around!

there were so many fun aspects to the night, and of course, i was highly inspired by pinterest. i thought i'd share a few of my favorite pins with you!

i got a giant foam poster board , taped together some envelopes, traced the edges to make my chevron stripes, and filled them in with hot pink paint.

the envelope trick was genius. 

original pin:

Source: handmakemyday.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

my interpretation:

 

in case people were unaware that the number one priority of a bachelorette party was to have fun, a little hit pink sign was clearly displayed to spread the word.

original pin:

Source: etsy.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

my interpretation:

and now it's snack time! :)

a party isn't a party without cake balls! :)
as i've stated before,,,,,i am not a pretty baker.
i think it was a sign from the heavens when the groupon from Texas Cake Ballers.
i sent the owner an email with photos of the cake ball vision i had formed in my mind, mostly consisting of  sparkles and glitter,,,and she pulled it off! :) not only did the look amazing, they tasted amazing.
i highly recommend the strawberry-and-cream and chocolate fudge.
yummmmm.

original pin:

Source: hwtm.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

my texas cake baller's interpretation:

i, along with 95% of the rest of the female population, love mimosas! i think they are so fun. it is nearly impossible to pop a bottle of champagne and not have a fun time.

when i saw this pin, i just knew we had to try it. 

instead of orange juice, i served scoops of orange sherbet, for a traditional mimosa with a twist.  instead of traditional cranberry juice for poinsettias, i  had cranberry-pomegranate and served pom-settias. 

original pin:

Source: celebrationsathomeblog.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

my interpretation:

each of the girl was given a take-away bag that contained the bride's favorite essie nail polish, "topless & barefoot", and a pink nail file. 

original pin:

Source: luluthebaker.blogspot.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

next to the sign, i placed a sign that read "when in cancun, choose topless and barefoot", to give a hint to the gift before the girls could open them.  scandalous right? bub-hub thought so. i thought it was pretty clever. 

 

Source: product-girl.com via Krizia on Pinterest

Source: weddingbee.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

my interpretation:

we also played a few fun games!

original pin:

my interpretation:

be sure to check back tomorrow for all the fun details of the best bachelorette bash that ever was! :)

  

mr. and mrs. chastain: part 7

after our outdoor reception, we had a second dinner & dancing reception at cowboy's golf club in grapevine. it was the perfect place to hold a celebration on our wedding day.  their main dining room is so beautiful, with austin stone and dark wood accents, it was a perfect backdrop to create our vision.

 

when erin, the site coordinator, first took us into the reception hall, i started tearing up.  almost one year of planning and worrying and creating, and it turned out more beautifully than i ever imagined. she and her fabulous team nailed it.

 

 

we used red table cloths on all the tables, and my mama and mother-in-law made beautiful burlap runners with fabric and lace details.

my mom also made the mr. and mrs. signs for our chairs. such a cute surprise!

 

we had 5 branch arrangements spread throughout the room, and it was a great way to create height and variety.

the rest of the tables were filled with a random collection of 7-9 jars and vases full of sunflowers, white stock, ranunculus, peonies, and a few other stem flowers. we also had woodcuts of various thicknesses that were stacked with jars, and red candles.

 

i had to fight for those tree-branch centerpieces, and i am so glad everyone came around and gave in.

i really loved the look of manzanita branch centerpieces, but did not want to spend that much money.

so we collected branches from the side of the road and from neighbors, filled buckets with concrete and created our own.  we dangled votives from the branches for an extra touch of fun.

my mom came up with the idea to place peonies and hydrangeas in the top of the bucket, and i think it was the perfect finishing touch.

thank goodness for summer storms and a dad with a chain saw!

 

we used smaller branches to create place card holders. my dad and brothers sliced the branches into 3-4 inch sections, and then added a slice across the top to place the cards. each table was named after a school monument or icon.  half of the tables were named for Texas A&M and the other half were named for Texas Tech.

 

 

 

i was in love with the design of my wedding cake. knew i wanted something simple, but rustic and fresh, and i was so happy with how it turned out. because the design of the cake was so simple, the flowers were able to steal the show! and if you look closely, you can see the woodcut cake stand my dad made!

bub-hub loves chocolate covered strawberries, so we made sure to load them up! we even had a bride and groom set of strawberries. how cute is that?

and no reception is complete without a little cake in the face.

for the record,

bub-hub started it, and i was forced to retaliate.

 

i was 100% blown away with the way the dinner reception turned out.

for almost a year, my mom and i planned and talked and planned, but the hardest part about being a planning bride is having no control over the day of set up, which is why i am 100% a fan of having a planner and being picky with your vendors.

 

part 1 | part 2

part 3 | part 4

part 5 | part 6

 

all photos were taken by Jana at bella bee photography.

the wedding was coordinated by Rhonda at precisely as planned.

the reception was coordinated by Erin at cowboys golf club.