This past Saturday a large handful of top bakeries in Chicago all gathered to showcase and sell their goodies. The Pastry Market was held at Logan Square Kitchen, a facility that allows bakers to rent out time in their super professional workspace. Not only is the kitchen wonderful but the dinning space as-well with reclined wood doors & trim, antique bar and all around cozy feel. I was lucky enough to have a special tour by Zina Murray, the owner of Logan Square Kitchen. Its clearly visible just how much love she has for LSK. During my private tour she explained how they had salvaged most of the wood used from places that were being demolished. The venue also has a wonderful lighting system that turns off certain lights when it senses enough sunlight, they are all on motion sensors as-well which leaves you to never have to turn a light on or off! She also told me about these fabulous dramatic drapes they have dividing the kitchen from the dinning area, made by a local artist as-well. If you are looking for a smaller space that's 100% eco-friendly Logan Square Kitchen is it! Onto the Pastry Market.......Oh how I love thee! I think I was in heaven surrounded by over 10 bakeries all selling delicious pastries. I was brought in by FLOUR Cake & Pastry in Oak Park to design their showcase. Nicole from Flour told me that they needed two tables designed one with a Valentines feel the other more wedding looking to showcase their gorgeous wedding cakes. Of course this immediately excited me because I love designing vendor showcases. I say this because a vendor has a split second to draw the client in. As I'm sure you know first impression is everything and your showcase should reflect your business and who you are. The designs came rather quickly to me as I have designed an abundance of showcases. The wedding table was to be very delicate and dramatic at the same time. I used a iridescent taupe pintuck linen with a stunning hand beaded overlay bunched on top to give that delicate feel. Flour supplied three drop dead gorgeous cakes: one dramatic five tier cake with golden fondant work, Octagon cake with bead detail and fresh floral and last but not least their one of a kind offset cube winter theme cake with fondant and sugar to resemble snow! We placed each cake on ornate silver cake pedestals to give them that luxurious look. Also on this table was one of our mots popular centerpieces, the crystal tree! Now this particular tree has made more than a few appearances so we anted to be sure it was different. We achieved this by coming up with the idea that the tree would be interactive! Now your saying how on earth can that be possible?!?!? Nicole supplied us with a box of their wonderful square shaped business cards. We punched a hole in them, tied a pretty ribbon and hung them on the tree. We also created what I was calling business card crystals!! Basically they were my interpretation of hanging crystals utilizing business cards instead. All the business cards made the tree come to life as they took the place of leaves. The interactive aspect comes in with the guests being able to pluck their card off the tree. This was a huge hit as the guests love it! We also surrounded the tree vase with additional cylinders filled with water and floating candles and white rose petals. Now this is where things get super sweet! Our Valentines table design.... We used a pink lamour table cloth that matched the exact pink on Flour's logo. We thought how could we showcase their delicious goodies to feel almost like a candy shop??? We then made our own using apothecary jars, cake pedestals, and smaller vases. We took each item and matched it with the appropriate vessel that would showcase them to their fullest. The amazing red velvet cup cakes were placed on two white cake pedestals, sugar cookies in tall jars, chocolate lollipops in a tall vase with glass beads to hold them in, tiny heart chocolates on a tall pedestal & more...oh lets not forget the Pièce de résistance was the three tier custom Valentine's Cake in the center.
If you are a vendor and would like more information on our booth design, please contact Barbara Medina at Barbara@JustSayYesEvents.com
Take a look at what we came up with! All photos by Just Say Yes Events
I found my fiancées gift a couple weeks ago and well was eager to blog about it but I was afraid he would visit the blog! On one of my weekly trips to Paper Source I found a tiny little book that resembles a bachelors "Little black book" The title of the book is; STUFF...Every man should know by Brett Cohen and is a steal at just $10.00. I absolutely fell in love with this tiny humorous book. Inside there are all kinds of interesting things, for example; How to purchase a diamond, how to last ten minutes on a dance floor, five pick up lines in five different languages....He will NOT be using those ;-) but most importantly, How to give a MASSAGE! The book is the perfect little gift for your son turning 21 or hubby that needs to be taught a few things he missed!!!
Many brides have showers, luncheons, welcomes brunches etc. I have planned a few "Tea Parties" for my lovely brides and they are always a big hit. Favors are very important at these functions more so than the wedding in my opinion. I try to create unique fun little favors or trinkets for the guests that are affordable of course. There is so much you can do with a "Tea Party" its just one of those themes that can go in a few directions. Tea is made all over the world and each place has different traditions and ceremonies surrounding tea. For example, if you were having a garden wedding and wanted to host a tea party with a garden feel you could buy vintage tea cups at any thrift store, antique shop or online. The first thing you want to do is run them through the dish water of course to clean them up. You can use them in many ways, my two favorites are: Filling them with candies such as foil wrapped chocolates or candles. Candle kits are super easy to find at any craft store and are very affordable. All you have to do is melt the wax pour it in the tea cup and place the wick in...VOILA! Its a super cute favor and you can put scented oils into the wax such as rose, gardenia, lavender, berry etc. To add a finished look just wrap the tea cups & Saucers in clear cellophane or tulle with a simple tag. Another "Tea Party" favor is well tea bags! Tea bags are extremely affordable no a days and the selection is massive. I purchase tea from STASH tea company frequently. If you visit their website you can purchase different quantities ranging from 30 to 120. Their selection includes teas from India, China & Japan and so many more, a few of my favorites are the Chai flavors. For a simple thank you/favor tie 6 bags of tea together with a ribbon, tie a tag with your name etc....Super easy and super cute! You can add these little bundles to your OOT bags with flavors like chamomile to help your guests relax and sleep well.
I have added a few photos to give you an idea of what the little tea bundles look like & the supplies needed.
Your wedding day is one of the most joyous and well stressful days of your life. Why not begin your big day with a soothing and relaxing massage. I have been a fan of Windy City Massage ever since they made me drool in relaxation! Honestly I've had many massages as I am a full believer in taking time for yourself to rejuvenate, yet none made me feel like WCM. They are a very reputable and have been in business over a decade. Windy City Massage has convenient locations all over the city and will come to your home or office as-well. Yes, you just read that last sentence correctly!! With only an hour's notice, they can bring any of their services to your space and help you create your own Personal Retreat. They also offer manicures, pedicures, facials, body scrubs and personal Yoga sessions.
Windy City Massage Click to view website Reservations: 9 a.m.- 10 p.m. seven days a week!!! phone 312.946.3000 fax 312.946.4050 email reservations@windycitymassage.com
Last June my fiancee and I had the chance to travel abroad for almost three weeks. It was a trip that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I was recently chatting with a bride and she asked about honeymoon destinations. Now I am not the type of person that can just go on vacation and lay on a beach for 14 days, I really wish I could. I do not know if its the constant working and planning that I do or my inability to relax, either way my trips are very planned! In June we traveled over eight hours to begin on vacation in London, England. Once we arrived we checked into our hotel, dropped our luggage, showered and ran out!! I wasn't sure what to expect from London but we were open and ready for anything. I am such a nerd and took about 500 pictures of the bright red phone booths, I just couldn't help myself. London has so much to offer from great musicals, worlds largest Ferris wheel (London Eye), museums, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London and lets not forget all the open air markets. I hope you consider London as a possible honeymoon destination! Its untraditional but I guarantee awesome. Our next destination was Paris and I personally was ecstatic to finally have the chance to visit the city of romance. We took a train from London into Paris and it took about 2 hours, no time at all considering we took a nap. The train was very roomy there was even had a small table in between us and our neighboring travelers. Its nice to be put into such close quarters with people, you chat and learn so much about the locals or other travelers. Once we arrived in Paris we immediately selected a museum to visit....and the winner was Musee d'orsay. We had such a great time in Paris visiting amazing places such as the Louvre. The Louvre is such a massive museum it would take days to see every single thing. There is something so amazing about being able to see such great masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa & the winged victory. There is one thing that I have always wanted see since I was a very small child, The Eiffel Tower! I couldn't get enough of it and my fiancee Daniel was so awesome and took me to see it about 3 times. Each day we discovered something new about the Eiffel Tower from the view all the way from the top to the twinkling lights at midnight. Its such a magical place with the couples walking hand in hand, sitting under a tree kissing or just taking in the gorgeous gardens surrounding the Eiffel. I will remember those days for years to come and hold the photos close to my heart. One cute story is that Daniel gave me a red rose on our anniversary while visiting the Eiffel and I had no vase but didn't want my precious little rose to die!! I placed it in a plastic water bottle and that's where it lived until we left Paris. That trip I completely fell in love with Paris and hope to one day have the privilege to live there. I joke all the time with my family that I will retire to Paris! Paris is the ultimate honeymoon destination exuding love, romance and an old world feel that no other place on earth possesses. The next part of our trip is rather interesting! Daniel and I have always been the adventurous type. We love vacations that people normally wouldn't think of or do. When we were done with our trip to Paris we traveled to the Charles de Gaulle airport to pick up a rental car. After about two hours we finally had our car, you see there are certain requirements that are needed to drive in-between countries and we would be returning the car in Rome. Europe has special emissions that are needed which makes it difficult because the car has to pass all test required for all countries being visited. We finally had a car!!! which was a great relief as our returning tickets were out of the Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino. We drove just 30 minutes from Paris to Versailles, France. Versailles is the most quaint and charming town with a famous Chateau. Now when I say the town is charming it is..... Chateau Versailles IS NOT! It is massive and gold gilded with extremely ornate architecture. It was just a day trip because we wanted to head down to the south of France. Chateau Versailles is massive and jaw dropping gorgeous. The chateau was once occupied by Marie Antoinette, she was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and Navarre. She was also the fifteenth and penultimate child of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I. If you do not know the story of Marie Antoinette, I highly suggest doing a little research. The story is absolutely amazing! After our trip to the Chateu Versaille we got lost!! Yes, that's right lost. Daniel and I are very good about no bickering or stressing while on vacations. We have a great trait and that is to work as a team. In that instant you have to remain calm and just ask locals, check the maps or google!! We found our way and decided to drive through the night towards the South of France. We drove a few hours stopped and fell asleep in the car at a rest stop. This is when we discovered "Auto Grill" which is now one of my favorite places! I know what your thinking, that's ridiculous its a REST STOP! No no....not auto grill, they are very nice places with wonderful coffees and freshly made sandwiches. We stopped at Auto grilles frequently for the duration of our trip! We made it to Marseille in the early afternoon. Prior to booking this trip I researched every single place we would be staying and made sure we weren't missing anything. Marseille is basically a port town that is very laid back and casual. My fiancee fell in Love with Marseille and we will be going back for our honeymoon!! We booked a room at the "New Hotel Marseille" which we will be staying at this time as-well. The hotel has a very modern and youthful feel to it. Marseille itself is such a wonderful place, turquoise water, amazing seafood, gorgeous sunsets and once the sun goes down its a party town! All the locals come out and sit on the terraces drinking wine and chatting with friends. Our favorite restaurant was called Peron, Its situated literally on the shore hovering over the waves! the terrace has a retractable sunroof and is adjusted to block the sun and still let you enjoy the breathtaking views. Marseille also has boat trips, scuba diving, museums etc its the perfect place to have some R&R and fun! After our visit with Marseille began what we called our "Tour di Riviera"....We began of course in Marseille and drove down the coast to Toulon, St. Tropez, Cannes, Nice and finally Monaco. We stopped in each enjoyed the sites, food, beaches & shopping! I have to say my favorite beaches were in Cannes, stunning. Monaco was last on our tour of the Riviera and was just amazing, as we drove the towns just got better and better. We finally left France and entered Italy!! "Italia".......Next up! We drove into Genoa, Italy. It is another port town and where Christopher Columbus sailed from, little tidbit of knowledge for you. After Genoa we drove to Venice, now I was bursting at the seams to arrive in Venice and kept asking, "Are we there yet?" Venice is one of those places you read about and see photos of but when you are there you realize what it was exactly that the artist painting those famous pieces was inspired by. Venice has the power to inspire anyone in just one glance. As your strolling through the streets you see the carnivale masks, open markets, musicians playing music, gondoliers offering romantic rides. Venice is like no other, where streets are canals and and the building tell stories by just their presence. You can see the influences from all over even Morocco and its very interesting. So of course we had amazing al fresco dinners, gondola rides, brought back a gorgeous mask & walked away with priceless memories.We honestly didn't want to leave but well had to move on to the next destination, Florence. Florence was one of our day trips since we only had a few things we wanted to see there. One of course was the David another was the Duomo. Florence definitely has that old world look and feel and some locals still live by the old ways. It is also a very small town and can be walked very easily. We parked our car and left it there all day and just wandered around the winding streets. We decided that we would have a very nice dinner being that we would be getting back on the road so we stopped off at Buca Di Mario. We did not know till we returned that we had randomly chosen the best steakhouse in all of Florence. They were extremely friendly there and the owner herself gave us a box of biscotti to take away. Buca Di Mario has an ancient characteristic environment, it has stayed unaltered in time. Furthermore, it is protected by specific rules imposed by the Florentine Council: any structural change that can alter its peculiar style is not allowed. Once we left Florence we drove through all kinds of wonderful places. Driving through small towns where the population is about 150 is just amazing! We had the chance to see Arezzo, Montepulciano, Orvieto and many more! We arrived in Rome in the evening and well got lost! we ended up circling the Colosseum about 50 times until we finally found a local that could point us in the right direction. The hotel we chose was just five minutes walking distance away from the Vatican. We took one day and just slept the entire day, we were just so tired but excited to be in Rome. The following few days we ventured out and visited the Colosseum, Royal Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and much more! We also went on a half day tour of the Vatican, which is a confusing and massive place! I highly recommend going on a tour so that you don't miss anything. Walking into the Sistine Chapel will give you the chills, to see Michelangelo's masterpiece so up close is just mind blowing. The detail completely boggles the mind how one man could achieve such greatness within four short years. Sadly, this is where our dream vacation ended. We gathered all our gifts packed our bags and headed home with memories we will treasure forever and full of new knowledge from amazing museums, a new take on food and a love for the casual way of European life. So lay out the map and think of an untraditional honeymoon destination that you will remember for years to come.
Daniel and I will be honeymooning in Spain, South of France & Morocco.
As you all know we are absolutely in love with the website Etsy. Everything they sell is handmade and of course unique. We love incorporating fun and different items into the wedding designs that make them memorable. Have you ever thought of dressing up your drinks? a wine glass becomes something special and a bottle of wine a keepsake! JonNI Paper and Decorative Arts by Cuddlecreature has amazing drink tags that are perfect for any event. The little tags are inexpensive and unique, how awesome is that!
We recently had the privilege of showcased at one of Chicago's premier venues, the Metropolitan Club in Willis Tower. An entire group of Chicago's elite wedding vendors showcased their goods to lovely couples and their families. Among the vendors were Just Say Yes Events, Heffernan & Morgan, Kehoe, BBj Linen, Kenny Kim Lifestyle Weddings, Jen Shannon Photography, Green Diva Jewelry & many more. The event was a huge success and were looking forward to next years show!
If you didn't make it out, here's a few images from our friends at Jen Shannon Photography & Kenny Kim Lifestyle Weddings.
Images C/O Jen Shannon Photography & Kenny Kim Lifestyle Weddings
