We’ve been in New York (see the first post here) for the National Stationary Show this past week, looking at all the great designers, and stationary trends, and taking some classes.  Lucky for us there were also several other design related events happening at the same time, including Surtex, and the ICFF or International Contemporary Furniture Fair.  When Sarah told me I was going to love the furniture show, I figured she was right, but didn’t realize how much.  The design of so many of the pieces at the show was so inspiring, it was definitely a high light of the trip.   The space at Amuneal Manufacturing was incredible.  Carefully styled, with beautiful curated objects, that enhanced the pieces that they create.  The art wall was full of eclectic works that had been altered and updated.

The booth at O&G Studio was so simple, which made their pieces stand out.  The textiles, and mirrors were a collaboration with two other designers.

The Fab.com booth was CRAZY colorful, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to the brightly patterned geometric rugs.

Grow House Grow was a favorite.  Not only were the wallpaper designs colorful and interesting, a closer inspection reveals unexpected details like octopi and jellyfish.  Plus the designer Katie was so sweet, and friendly.

Another one of my favorite pieces was this end table by Hinterland Design.  It had a beautiful natural quality made modern with the geometric cut, and who doesn’t love a planter with some succulents?  A great way to bring nature into your space.

We stopped by the Iacoli & McAllister booth, a favorite of Sarah’s from last year.  The simple clean lines, and geometric shapes were refreshing.  I also loved the use of color including copper or rose gold, greys, pinks, and blacks.  She also had some wonderful modern necklaces she was selling, which we each promptly purchased.

Of course I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of these brightly colored dachshund chairs at the Jimmie Martin booth.

Molo specializes in alternative materials, and they set up a whole environment for their space, complete with free standing accordion fold cardboard walls, and light fixtures that all glowed, and almost looked like jellyfish and other sea creatures.

I just can’t resist a little sparkle, and these fixtures from moooi were perfect.  They had nice modern shapes, and weren’t overly flashy with their simple chrome armature, and grouped together created a magical display of soft glowing light.

This mantel piece made us do a double take.  At first glance it just looks like a traditional, if not rather opulently tiled fireplace, but further inspection shows the wealth of details, and fun juxtaposition of unexpected elements to a classic piece.  It was a collaboration of three artists with the Rookwood Pottery company.  I’d definitely suggest you check out the whole thing on their website.

Sandback was one of the first booths that caught my eye.  It was simple, and clean, with beautiful, quiet pieces.  Owner Peter Sandback creates modern wooden furniture, with delicate metal inlaid patterns.  I would absolutely love to have one of these pieces in my home.

This pile of chairs and stools caught my eye over at the Tom Dixon booth.

And last, but definitely not least was Volk, based in Brooklyn, NY.  The simple Oak pieces were lovely, and for the show had been hand painted with, you guessed it, geometric designs.  On closer inspection I was pleasantly surprised by the lovely fabrics that lined each drawer, and the gold pulls were another favorite detail.

Thanks for coming along on our trip to the ICFF.  It was an amazing experience!

So as I mentioned on Friday, we’re in New York for the National Stationary Show.  It’s been such an amazing trip so far, and I’m so happy that I was invited to come along.  We’ve done so much already, and we’ve still got three more days to go.  Here’s a little peek at what we’ve been up to, via our Instagrams.

We spent part of Friday exploring the city.  We walked down to Chelsea Market which was highly recommended (and didn’t disappoint).  It was a great spot with so many restaurants, shops, and tons of stuff to look at.  We spent quite a bit of time browsing the spice and tea market.  Tea, tea, as far as the eye can see.

We walked past Washington Square Park.  It was a beautiful day, and was totally packed with people enjoying the weather.  I of course had to snap a picture.

We had some lunch, and brews at the Blind Tiger Ale House, another recommendation from a friend.  They had a large beer list, and the sliders were delicious!

We wandered down Bleecker Street, popping in and out of shops.  At a vintage modern furniture store I loved this display of beautiful white porcelain sculptures against a black wall.  The yellow shelf was a perfect pop of color, and I had to take a pic.

There was obviously lots of graffiti all over the city, but this was one of our favorites.

We came across Molly’s Cupcakes and obviously had to stop in for a sample.  It didn’t disappoint.  I had the creme brulee cupcake, which tasted exactly like the dessert it’s named after.  The decor was simple and sweet, with swings as bar stools.

To get home we took a stroll down the High Line, and even stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the amazing weather outside.  Such great people watching, and I love the idea of taking something old, and making it new again.  If you don’t know the story behind the High Line, you need to check it out.  It’s so cool to be able to walk right through the city, but up above all the traffic, almost like a whole other peaceful world.  Great people watching too.

Of course it’s no secret that NYC has an incredibly diverse amount of restaurants, a food lover like me’s dream.  We ate dinner at a mediterranean restaurant where we sampled 15 different dips.  It certainly made for a pretty plate.  Last night we dined at KTCHN, which we spotted walking through the neighborhood.  It was a great meal, from the atmosphere, to the food, to the service.

Thanks for joining me for the first part of our NYC adventure.  Later this week I’ll be sharing some favorite pics from the National Stationary Show, so stay tuned!

We’re beyond excited to share that the Paper Muse Press product site is now open for business.  It’s a soft launch, meaning we’re going to be continually adding new products as the weeks go by, so please check back often.  We’re also offering the above discount code for $5.00 off to our family, friends, and followers who have been so supportive throughout our journey.  Please take a look at the site, and feel free to send any feedback.  We hope you’ll try out Paper Muse Press, and love our stuff as much as we’ve loved designing and creating it!

(photo via Creative Commons)

High fives all around.  We’re so excited to be in New York City once again for the National Stationary Show.  Rowena and Sarah attended last year (see posts about their trip here), and this year I was also invited to join in.  I can’t wait to explore the city, it’s my first time in the Big Apple.  I’m also looking forward to being inspired by great stationary trends, the designers at Surtex, and also all the amazing pieces at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.  I’ll be posting updates all week as we travel and learn, so read along and join our adventure!

I recently threw a shower for the newest addition to the family, my cousin’s daughter Charlotte.  It was co-hosted by my best friend Claudia, and it wasn’t any ordinary shower.  Since this is their second baby we decided to do a sip and see.  What’s a sip and see you may ask (as many people did).  It’s an event hosted after the baby is born so people can come SEE the baby and SIP and snack at the same time.  Charlotte’s nursery is owl themed, in a palette of purples, pinks, greys, and whites, so we decided to match it for her party.  We served all kinds of apps, and baked up custom heart and letter C cookies, and the fun owl cake above.  Baking these treats was one of my favorite parts of the shower prep. (I found the owl cake in the Better Homes and Gardens Cakes! special issue.  It was super easy to make from a 9×12 inch cake pan).

The invitations we sent out had grey chevron on them, so we added this element in with the linens, and also had chevron straws for the drinks.  We punched out paper flowers in purples and pinks, and spread them all around the house on all the tables.

The centerpiece was made up of bright purple hyacinths.  They were so fragrant!  We found the little pink owls at a local craft store, and had a few around the house nestled amongst the decor.  Flynn even got into the theme with a big pink ribbon bow.

I saw this fun thumbprint guest book over on White Table Style, and with an owl themed shower, it was too perfect.  We added the little owls from the invites to the tree.  Each guest added their thumbprint and signed their name, and then at the end of the shower we put it in a frame as a gift.  When guests entered the front door they were greeted by a giant, colorfully painted C.  Can you believe it was Claudia’s first craft painting project.  She did a great job!

Opening gifts was especially fun.  There were lots of adorable matching outfits for Charlotte and her big sister Emma.  Major advantage of having two little girls.  I also introduced Emma to the chalkboard wall in our newly remodeled kitchen.  Needless to say, it was a big hit.

We found these purple polka dot favor bags online at Wishy Washi Tape.  I also loved the grey pattern tape that said “With Love”, and we purchased our pink chevron drinking straws there as well.  If you’re looking for cute party decor items I suggest you check them out.  Inside the favor bags were candy, and these cute owl notecard sets.

All in all the shower was a success.  Everyone enjoyed getting a chance to meet Charlotte, here she is with my co-hostess Claudia and her grandma.  Such a sweet girl!  Hope you enjoyed checking out our owl themed baby shower as much as we loved putting it together and hosting it!

If there’s one thing I enjoy about making creative cocktails, it’s the experimentation.  We just celebrated Cinco de Mayo and I’ve been craving a margarita ever since.  Making a margarita from scratch is pretty darn easy.  However we also just got a new juicer and I wanted to try out adding fresh squeezed strawberry to a classic margarita recipe.  I won’t lie, my first try was a bit funky.  Salt + fresh squeezed strawberry for some reason just doesn’t mix.  So instead I tweeked the recipe a bit to come up with flavors that compliment each other.  That’s the fun of mixology right, tasting and sampling til it’s perfect!

Here’s that you’ll need for this cocktail:

• 3 limes
• Strawberries if you have a juicer.  If not you’ll want to get some frozen strawberry puree.
• Simple syrup
• Cointreau
• Tequila (100% agave tequila if you can).
• White crystal sugar (optional for the rim).
• Ice
• rocks or high ball glass

Wet the rim of your glass and dip in sugar so you get a thin layer around the top edge, like salt on a traditional margarita.  You can also skip this step if you’d prefer.  In a cocktail shaker add a bit of ice, then juice of 2 1/2 limes, 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 1/2 ounce Cointreau, 2 tbsp. strawberry puree, or if you’re using fresh juice that’s 1 ounce juice.  Shake well in cocktail mixer, then pour over ice.  You can also add simple syrup or agave nectar to sweeten, but I’d recommend giving it a taste first.  Since the glass is rimmed with sugar you might not feel you need it, but if you like sweet drinks you can add it in.  I wouldn’t use more than 1 ounce simple syrup, or one tablespoon agave.  Garnish with a slice of lime and strawberry.  Fresh and delicious (and you can brag you made it from scratch)!  Hope you’ll enjoy this fresh strawberry margarita recipe.

Mothers Day is a perfect occasion to put together a simple brunch.  It’s on a Sunday, and it’s in spring, a perfectly brunch worthy combo in my book.  Something else that’s great is it’s super easy to host, since breakfast food is simple to prepare and cook (or may not require any cooking at all).  For this little inspiration shoot I used the fun hostess serving sets I had purchased awhile ago as a starting point.  I’m an avid milk glass collector, and I love the colorful, graphic leaf pattern on each plate and cup.  I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them.

This was also an opportunity to use my ceramic creamer from Target.  I love that it’s shaped like a milk carton (and I used milk inside instead of cream).

The arrangements were full of white peonies, pink wax flower, and poppy pods that I couldn’t resist grabbing at the local grocery store.  To make them a little extra special I submerged some photos of my mom and I, and my husband, his brother, and his mom from our wedding day.  Use photos that have actually been printed and processed professionally.  Ink jet printed photos will just run and smear.  It’s a great way to personalize a simple flower arrangement for a shower, birthday party, or any special occasion, and the water magnifies and makes the photos so crisp and clear.

As I said, a brunch menu is easy to plan and prepare.  These sweet rolls are from McClain’s Bakery, a local Kansas City favorite, and fruit was purchased at the grocery store.  For an actual brunch I’d also throw in a pre-prepared egg casserole of some kind.  One of my favorites is this Kale and Sausage Breakfast Strata from The Pioneer Woman.  So delicious and you can make it the day before and heat it up.  Not into cooking?  Go to the store and buy some pre-made quiches to serve, or even better mini quiche!

Thanks so much for checking out my Mothers Day Brunch.  I hope it inspires you to do something special for your mom this weekend!

We’ve got some REALLY exciting stuff coming up in the next few weeks here at Paper Muse Press.  For now here’s a little sneak peek of what’s in store.  More to come soon!

Working on inspiration shoots is one of my very favorite things to work on as a floral designer.  Doing a shoot/event with friends is even more fun.  When Ellen and Jamie of White Table Style asked me to collaborate with them on a table for DIFFA’s Dining by Design event, I couldn’t have been more excited.  The theme for 2013 was “April in Paris” and designers could choose to create a table around the theme, or just do any design they wanted to.  With a love for all thinks French we decided to go with the Paris theme.  A French floral market seemed like the perfect choice, but we decided to do a stylized, modern take on the idea.  Our table was beautifully captured by Allison Marie Photography.

The drink flags were made by Ellen out of bamboo skewers and glitter tape purchased from a local craft store.

We used lots of colorful flowers in jewel tones, and painted galvanized steel buckets gold to give them a modern twist.  Fun chalkboard signs had flower names and prices on them to give the centerpiece another floral market touch.

What would a french themed table be with out macarons?  We sent our inspiration board to Au Bon Macaron, and they created beautiful, bright colored (and super tasty) treats for our table.

Ellen had this lantern from West Elm, and we thought it would be the perfect focal point for the table, filled with flowers and candles.  Gorgeous lilacs are a staple flower of spring and gave our display a beautiful aroma.

We used beautiful pink depression glass goblets, and plates from Crate and Barrel at each place setting.  To give the silverware an extra special touch we hand glittered all the handles with gold.  Merci take away cards with gold and white washi tape were placed around the table.  We decided to use the black and white striped runner because we felt it was reminiscent of the awnings outside many of the little shops in Paris.

Overall I think our table turned out beautifully.  So colorful and fun.  We hope our guests had a great time dining at it.  Here’s a list of lovely vendors who participated and what they did to help make our table a success:

Design and Styling: Ellen and Jamie of White Table Style and Emily of Emmy-Ray
Flowers: Emmy-Ray
Macaroons: Au Bon Macaroon
Photography: Allison Marie Photography
Glitter silverware: Emily of Emmy-Ray
Flags: Ellen of White Table Style
White plates: Crate and Barrel
Colored plates: Crate and Barrel
Fabric: Runner, placemats and napkins 
Table, chairs and tablecloth: Celebration Party Rentals
Pink Depression Glass: Ellen of White Table Style and Emily of Emmy-Ray
Vases: Emmy-Ray
Lantern: West Elm

(image via confetti system)

Wow, one whole year already!  It’s hard to believe that it’s already been that long since we started writing the Paper Muse Press blog.  To celebrate one year I’m sharing some of my favorite posts from 2013.  It’s so fun taking a look back through all our content.  It makes me, and the team feel good about what we’re creating here on the blog, and we hope that it will continue to be a source of fun, and inspiration for our readers!

One of our most viewed posts, our kitchen remodel was kind of a big deal for us back in January.  Seeing it all finished and the wonderful reaction we got was awesome!  Thanks to everyone who came to the site and checked out our space.

I shared one of my very favorite comfort food recipes, baked spinach and rosemary manicotti.  This is a go to for us, and definitely a dish that I love serving up for dinner parties with family or friends.

We celebrated one of our favorite holidays with a mini styled Valentines Day Party shoot.  A black, red, and white color palette with touches of grey, our free valentines printable, and a cake with polka dot filling!

We started wishing for spring a little bit early this year (with how cold it stayed all the way through April), but with this modern wedding inspiration shoot it was tough to resist.  I got to work once again with some amazing wedding professionals to create a gorgeous dream wedding.

Sage Dawson is not only an amazing artist, she’s also a good friend, so I was thrilled to share her beautiful prints and paintings on the blog for one of our Art + Design posts.  Please make sure to check out her work!

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate St.Patrick’s Day than with a beer tasting party.  We had a bunch of friends over, and sampled lots of delicious brews, along with mini reubens, and stuffed red potatoes.  Yum!

I love flowers, which is a good thing given my chosen profession as a floral designer.  Spring is one of the most amazing times of year for beautiful blooms, and a hand painted wood container only enhances their gorgeousness.

Summer is quickly approaching, and you know what that means.  Backyard bbq’s galore.  A favorite dish I like to bring to a pot luck gathering is this caprese salad bruschetta.  Fresh, colorful, and delicious, it’s a go to recipe for any summer event!

Fresh herbs, I’m kind of obsessed with them.  As I said, the spring has come late here in the midwest, so I decided to start growing my own herb garden indoors.  Decorated with washi tape it’s not only functional, but decorative as well.

One of my favorite DIY projects to date.  This heart string art was a fun, and simple way to decorate our mantel and use some of the existing pieces (the letters) I already had around the house.

Thanks so much for taking a walk down memory lane with me.  Again I’m so very happy to be part of the Paper Muse Press team, and I hope that you, our readers, love the things that we’re creating!