C&W Industrial Conference Nashville: Part One

We just got back from an amazing week in Nashville with the great folks of Cushman & Wakefield Industrial. I love working on this annual conference – there is nothing better than being surrounded by a group of hardworking professionals who love what they do. The Renaissance Nashville took great care of us from the moment we arrived. And with nearly 500 attendees in tow, this was no small feat. Nashville was the perfect scene for this fun-loving crowd. (See the great welcome bags they made to fully understand what I mean.) Nashville was small enough to offer great networking, but large enough to offer plenty to do between meetings. A welcome reception helped kick things off at the end of the first day. The event was held in the hotel’s Bridge Bar and Restaurant, which is entirely enclosed in glass. At night, it offers a fabulous ambiance for networking over cocktails. We put together special centerpieces placed throughout the event to highlight Nashville’s music scene (yes, that’s actual country sheet music!) and thank event sponsors. We also had custom cowboy boot drink koozies made because, well Nashville. 🙂 Day two and three of the conference featured even more fun and surprises. Stay

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Nature inspired Christmas centerpiece

Nature Inspired Christmas Centerpiece and Glitter Dipped Pinecones

Mr. Rosy and I have a lot going on this holiday season. And for just that reason we decided that we wouldn’t be doing any traveling. It’ll be so much easier this way we thought. Then we decided to host Mr. Rosy’s mother and step-father for Christmas Eve. And his brother. And his aunt and uncle. And his cousin and her husband. And his cousin’s cousin and her boyfriend. And well, you get the picture. So we had a great big Christmas Eve dinner party for eleven. I promised Mr. Rosy I wouldn’t go overboard. Just a simple centerpiece with some fresh evergreens… Well, when he saw me hand painting each tip on a bunch of pinecones, he sheepishly inquired if I felt this was keeping things simple. But honestly, this table setting couldn’t have been easier. I wanted to go natural, using the cool log risers I had left from this 30th birthday party. Add some flameless candles (you don’t want to be babysitting dripping wax when you’re hosting a dinner party) and some evergreens and you’re set. For the most part… Because then it hit me, with this many people it’s a good idea to have place cards. I

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Martha Stewart Paper Strip Garland

Copycat Martha Stewart Paper Strip Garland

While trying to get through my perpetually growing magazine pile, I ran across this picture of Martha Stewart’s Paper Strip Garland: And thought to myself, I can totally make that! Well, you know what? This time I was right! I happened to be getting really into paint chip crafts for our housewarming party and I just knew they were the perfect medium for this knock-off. Not only are these so simple, but there are so many uses for them. Hang them off your chandelier or over your table for a unique and colorful hanging centerpiece. Try them on your front porch to welcome guests to your party. They’re a great decorative element to define a space (think gift table, bar area, etc.). I even think they could make a super cute mobile for a baby’s room! And don’t feel like you have to stick to rectangles. Get creative with your scissors or use hole punches to try a variety of shapes. DIY PAPER GARLAND KNOCK-OFF Supplies: Paint Chips Filament Wire Scissors Double-Stick Tape Instructions: Step One: Cut paint chips down to size and line up matching chips back to back. Step Two: Open the paint chips and run filament wire down the

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Paint Chip Party Favors

Paint Chip Housewarming Decor & Party Favors

You may remember that we moved into our new house last November. Well, after six months, two floods, four weeks of construction, sixteen paint samples, three HVAC problems, and one secret room we were finally able to invite our families over to celebrate! I decided to incorporate some DIY paint chip projects into the party. (I figured we hard earned the right to some extra paint chips after buying sixteen samples of paint and enough gallons to paint every room in the house!) I made some adorable, simple menu cards, of which I naturally didn’t get a single picture! Forgive me, it was a very busy morning preparing to host fifty of our friends and family. I simply cut the paint chips down to size, wrote the menu item on the front, and used some washi tape to affix them to long toothpicks. Throw some decorative sand in a shot glass and stick the suckers in. Voila! Next, I made these awesome paint chip fans following this tutorial. They did double duty as centerpieces and party favors. They were certainly appreciated seeing as it was mid-July and our backyard gets direct afternoon sun. A special note about printing on paint chips: I used an ink-jet printer

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Candy Cane Centerpiece Vases

Peppermint DIY Round-Up!

It happens every year around this time. I head to the store for XYZ, and walk out with XYZ and 2-3 boxes of candy canes and a couple of bags of starlight mints. Why? Because it’s the holidays and they’re festive and they’re really, really cheap. Plus, if I fill our candy bowl with them instead of chocolate maybe we can avoid at least one of the five pounds the average american gains this time of year. Because let’s face it… “I just can’t stop eating these mints,” said no one ever. Last year, I decided to put all the mint candies to good use and make Christmas centerpieces out of them. This year, my super talented friend Jenny over at BOOK Event Design used them to make an awesome wreath. And that got me to thinking. What else can we do with these forever left behind candies? Well here it is. Your very minty DIY round-up! Candy Cane Holiday Vases from Be Rosy This was a super easy project. After unwrapping all your mints, grab your glue gun and go to town. When the vase is entirely covered, seal it with a crystal clear acrylic spray. (I learned the hard way that

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