This is a small corner of bliss in my kitchen amidst a lot of chaos. We just returned from vacation after leaving with boxes all over the house waiting to be unpacked. I was so thrilled to come home and find that my peonies were still blooming (although just past their peak). So I brought some of the stragglers inside.

They’re such a great flower! Easy to grow, loads of varieties, and greenery that lasts all summer. You can use just one for a bridesmaid bouquet or a few full ones and you have a magnificent but oh-so-simple bridal bouquet or throw them in a vase and no need to fuss with arranging them.

We went down to Portland, OR this past weekend to attend my cousin’s wedding. The favors were so fun I had to share them! At the centerpiece of each table they had a stack of books for the guests to pick from and these neat book plates (see pic above) to stick in the front of them! (This also tied into their invitations which were hand typed on library cards.)

Here’s the current inspiration board for my sister’s wedding. She wants to do completely red and white. Lots of things are still up in the air – but it’s a start!

With my sister getting married in just over two months we all have been extra busy making calls, creating lists, shooting emails, and sketching out time lines!  It’s all starting to come together.  We’ve got the dress, the building, and the pastor so even if nothing else came together we could still have a wedding! My mother and sister are hard at work on the guest list so that all the invitations can go out and then there will be a little breathing time.
Yesterday my sister-in-law and I packed up the kids and scoped out the site for the reception  (Sunnyside Park)- which we loved.  (And I managed to get us pulled over for talking on my cell phone in the state of WA!) We are now working on ideas for her outdoor tea-themed reception (although being the end of August it will be ICED tea!) and playing around with lilies as her theme flower.  I’ll keep you posted!