DIY : Mustache - On - A - Stick

Lauren Daversa Events has finally jumped on the bandwagon! We are having a family portrait tomorrow with photographer extraordinaire, Jessica Lorren...I swear I am not getting kickbacks from her. So to ensure we get some fun shots, I'll be making a mustache-on-a-stick for the entire fam. Woo-hoo me!

Materials

- Felt paper

- Hot glue

- Chopsticks or craft dowels

- Scissors

- Mustache design

Directions

-Cut out the design of your mustache. It will take two layers for each 'stache, a front and back.

-Hot glue a chopstick to one of the 'staches. Then hot glue the remainder of the felt and place the top layer down. Make sure to evenly line up both pieces of felt.

-Make it personal by embellishing your 'stache with ribbon, crystals or a million other crafty do-dads.

These are so whimsical, cheap and easy to make! Here's to being trendy. Hip hip horray. And for your viewing pleasure, I present to you...my first mustache on a stick made after a loooooong day, (translation: not the best picture of me).

Jessica Lorren Photography - She Shoots People

My friend, and photographer extraordinaire, Jessica Lorren (the eyes behind the lens in the post below) was featured on Style Me Pretty for this beautiful wedding she shot at the Powel Crosley Estate! For those of you who are not familiar with SMP...wow, time to visit that site like now. For those of you who frequent SMP, then you know it's an amazing dream to have your work spotlighted on their site. I'm so proud and happy for you Jessica!!!

Real Events : Tim + Jenny

In November 2009, I helped Tim + Jenny to plan the most beautiful modern-garden wedding. It truly was a magical night. The property they were married on is a little piece of paradise tucked away in Hobe Sound. The food everyone feasted on was out of this world because Tim created the menu himself and Leftovers catered it. (SIDE NOTE - Tim is the executive chef at Leftovers...pause...wait for it...yeah, the food was SOOOOOO good). But what was most memorable about the wedding was the overabundance of love that was swirling around in the air that night, which came from Tim + Jenny. Ahhhhh, just writing this takes me back...

So, when we spoke after the wedding and they told me they wanted to recreate their wedding day for a post-wedding shoot ... I could think of no one better then the amazing Jessica Lorren.

Seriously, Tim + Jenny ROCK!

And so does Jessica.

Sun-Sentinel Best Of Blog Awards Voting Is Open

The Sun-Sentinel is hosting the Best Of Blog Awards and we're up for the Art/DIY category. Yay us!!! Voting BOB Awards is open and will continue through March 1st. So if you feel up to it, take a journey over to the Sun-Sentinel and vote for Lauren Daversa Events. You can vote one time each day so make it little ritual!

DIY : Ice Lanterns

I live in Florida but lately it feels like I am back home in New England. IT'S REALLY COLD OUT LATELY!!! So, to celebrate the chill that's taken over the east coast, I am happy to present the most adorable DIY Ice Lantern created by Sweet Paul for Design. *Sponge

Basically you need two buckets, one smaller then the other and some greens (he used olive branches). Oh, and you will need some water.

Fill your biggest bucket half full with water. Place the smaller bucket inside it and place some rocks or something heavy to keep in in place. Add more water, the water level should be to the top. Add your branches to the sides of the bucket. Use some tape to keep the small bucket in the middle of the big one. Now set the whole thing outside to freeze.

Once its frozen, remove the small bucket first and then the large one and you have...ice lanterns!!! Put your candle inside and there you go! For more incredible ideas be sure to visit Sweet Paul because he is one cool dude.

Signature Drink Club : Evan's Rose & Mekong Martini

OMG, the last time I posted to the Signature Drink Club was October...Ooops! Busy, busy, busy is all I can say in my defense. But the wait is worth it because February is going to get two, that's right, two new members. Both yummy concoctions hail from Bong Su Restaurant & Lounge in San Fran where they serve up two amazing martinis that would bring the pizazz to any event.

EVAN’S ROSE MARTINI

Ingredients
4 to 5 oz of coarsely chopped cucumber, which has been seeded and diced
1 ¾ oz Black Peppercorn infused vodka (recipe below)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 oz Almond Syrup
1/2 oz Siroppe de Rose (Rose Syrup)
Candied rose petal for garnish

Directions
Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
Strain and serve up, garnished with a candied rose petal.

BONUS - Black peppercorn infused vodka
Use 2 cups vodka to 1 tsp. crushed black peppercorns.
Combine vodka and flavoring in a jar, or vodka bottle and store at room temperature for at least 2 days before using.
Strain before using and return vodka to container.





MEKONG MARTINI

Ingredients
1/2 oz. Chopped cilantro
2 Slices of jalapeño (¼ inch thick)
1 ¾ oz Gin
Juice of whole lemon
¾ oz Simple syrup (recipe below)

Directions
Shake all ingredients vigorously (not muddled) with ice and strain through fine mesh sieve.
Serve up in a martini glass.

BONUS - Simple syrup
In a medium saucepan, combine one cup white sugar and one cup water.
Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.
Allow to cool.

PS - simple syrups are great to infuse

L | D Finds : LSS Harmony

I received this inspiration quote today from LSS Harmony and wanted to share it. Life can be extremely stressful and overwhelming, certainly so if you are planning a huge event. Many people run through the day at a mile a minute and never pause to make sure they are okay themselves. We forget how important it is to take a minute or two, breathe and bring it down a notch.

Though I can't speak for everyone, I certainly can say for myself that running my own business, being a wife and mother, taking care of my home and family and taking care of my clients is a lot to juggle. So much that sometimes I wonder how I get it all done. If it weren't for my husband and mother-in-law, I would never be able to successfully do what I do. But not everyone has an outlet to help themselves.

If you don't have an outlet, and life is getting to be a little overwhelming or out of whack, you might consider contacting a holistic life coach like West Palm Beach based LSS Harmony who offers a modern method for helping individuals get healthy on all levels: Mental, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual. The owner of LSS Harmony, Sophie Skover, examines what your life currently looks like from your spirituality, diet and posture, to your thinking habits and beliefs. She will then apply specific exercises and techniques to address and work through the inner areas that cause life inflammation. Doesn't that sound nice!

There are many different areas where Sophie can help:

• Life Coaching: Learn life skills that help you manage the daily issues and breakthrough techniques that create empowering resolutions

• Food Coaching: Learn to have a healthier relationship with food

• Job & Career Coaching: Discover your purpose and learn how to create that path

• Relationship Coaching: Heal the one you are in, start a new one or get out of an unhealthy one

• Goal Coaching : Uncover your desires and create a SMART blueprint on how to bring them into reality

If you're feeling overwhelmed, or you are just in need of some guidance, put yourself first and take the step! Whether it's enlisting the help of a life coach, yoga, or whatever outlet that works for you. Take the time and invest it in yourself because you're worth it!

Real Events : Brandon + Kristin

I don't know this couple, but I LOVE their wedding. So much, that their video is the first video I have ever published on my blog. And though there have been a few that I've come across that have moved me, this is the all time winner. Shade Tree Films, a cinematographer based out of So Cal, posted this video of The Kidds and it rules! Shade Tree Films incorporated a pre-wedding interview into the first edit, which is awesome because you hear both sides of their story: how the couple met, what they love about each other and their engagement story, etc. LOVE IT! But there's more...

The video comes with a little disclaimer. During the video, there are a few shots of what, at first, appears to be a proposal reenactment. But it is misleading. You see, Shade Tree Films did not have Brandon and Kristin reenact their proposal at all. That's right, Brandon is like the man and he planned out the whole proposal, and planned to have two friends hide and capture the entire thing as it took place. RIGHT ON, BRANDON! INSERT SIGH HERE! It's like a total Bridget Jones Diary moment when Renée Zellweger thinks that Colin Firth left because of all the mean things she wrote about him in her journal. But he didn't leave, he really went to get her a new journal, which he tells her with a dreamy English accent in the middle of a snowy street while sheltering her in what must be a really, really oversized coat! Okay, so maybe The Kidd's moment isn't really like Bridget Jones Diary, but both videos evoke the same emotion!

Of course there is more! You see Brandon actually kept this taping a secret from his fiance and waited to reveal it to her for the first time at the wedding when they viewed it together. END SCENE. Yeah, listen up guys...that is what is called a nice move!

Watch it and I hope you love it as much as I did!

The Kidds from Shade Tree Films on Vimeo.

Photo courtesy of Jasmine Star
Video courtesy of Shade Tree Films

Real Events : Antonio + Alexandra's Save The Date

I'm still trying to stay true to my new year's resolution, and though I have not posted event pictures from last year, I am close to being current with this year, even though we're only in the second month:-) But I am more than happy to present one of my couples awesome Save the Dates! , Alexandra + Antonio wanted a cartoon, and found exactly what they were looking for from Felice Design on Etsy.

If you are a frequent read of my blog then you are well aware of my love affair with Etsy! If you like the STD's Antonio + Alexandra picked, visit Felice Design and get your own version! The hair and skin color of the couple may be changed to match yours and your finance's. There is a minimum order of 50 postcards required, and they first 85 postcards are $1.50 each. Any postcards purchased over 85 are $1.00 each.

The back...so cute!

Small Bites

InStyle Weddings rules! If you are looking for inspiration, look no further. There is always something fresh and innovative yet beautiful to be discovered on their website. Hmmmm, I use the same adjectives to describe my own company :-) Any-who...just this evening, as I was working hard at designing an invitation for an upcoming event...I found myself reading about scrumptious forkfuls of noodles twisted around a fork. What an awesome idea! Give your guests a small bite and keep their fingers clean and their tummies happy. Or how about late night pancake stacks! Also awesome. Who doesn't like pancakes? Guests would be blown away if you offered up a bite sized stack of mini-pancakes, complete with a drizzling of maple syrup. But you'd have to offer a little glass of milk to make it perfect.

Great ideas are always just a click away! Be creative, think outside the box and you will give guests a memorable and tummy-satisfying experience at your next event.