The Full Bouquet

WE'VE BEEN GATHERING - VINTAGE WEDDING PROPS

Over the last few months we have been gathering fun antiques and props for upcoming events. We love, love, love, finding that special something that sends your event over the edge. Feel free to contact us if there is anything you need, if we don't have it, we can probably find it!!!

My latest and most favorite find our these sweet little silver platters and bowls. The base of the platter has been turned into a chalkboard. We know these will come in handy on guest book and place card tables. In fact we are trying to find enough to use them for table numbers. We LOVE this idea.

These sweet little tin urns are going to be a lovely touch to some of our garden parties.

These miniature milk glass vases have been added to my outrageous collection of vintage containers. They are so small I can use them on the top of a cake. We are dying to use these. Speaking of milk glass have you seen our collecting?

We've also been buying bling, lots, and lots, of bling.

These are hair pins that we found in NYC. Next time you see them they will be in the middle of one of my bouquets.

We even bought earrings that we will convert into adornment for our bouquets.

These little beauties are antique curtain fobs. These will be used in bouquets or to pin up place cards. Fabulous idea right?

We also have been practicing our decoupage moves. We are excited about using these containers next week.

These library card drawers will be used for my "library bride." We will fill them with flowers or mini bud vases. Yes I think we are off to an incredible start. Many of these items were gathered right here in Lucketts at On A Whim Antiques.

Holly

EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE HOLLY AROUND THE HOUSE AT CHRISTMAS

For 4 years straight, I had a remarkable holiday open house. We held it right here in my family room. Past brides, clients, and the community, were invited to come to our home to purchase their holiday decor. The open house was a ton of work but we loved having the freedom to create for creations sake.  Our pieces and our open house were truly amazing.

Can you imagine hosting something like this in your family room with small children? I was pregnant with Grace when we did the last open house, and last year and this year I just simply did not have the courage to destroy my family room with 3 small children, not to mention the four other kids who live here as well. You may have noticed it's hard for me to say no, or to use brakes, but I just had to find some NO for this event.  Its sad not to have open house for so many reasons, first off, it was awesome to be visited by our brides, I miss them so much after they marry. Secondly our designs are stunning and it was nice to be able to share them.

For those still hoping to have some Holly in the house we are happy to create designs specifically for you. We offer wreaths, roping, garland, kissing balls, centerpieces, as well as private design consultations for your home, so please feel free to give us a call and place an order. We will also be offering some of our designs at On A Whim Antiques as well. Fresh evergreen designs will last well into the New Year if watered.

Happy Holidays!!!

ON A WHIM ANTIQUES- HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Most of you know that I have a small little booth in the On A Whim Antiques store, right here in Lucketts.  This store has become one of my greatest resources during wedding season. I can walk into this great little shop, any day of the week, and totally feel inspired.  Finding just the right gift is so easy here, and if you are hoping to spruce up your house, On A Whim is a must. This past Sunday night the girls from On A Whim Antiques gathered for a little pre holiday fun. Owner Donna, is seen above opening one of the first presents of the season.

We each brought in vintage gifts to share.

It was so nice to spend time with the ladies of the store. I often miss out on the action because I am working in the flower shop or on a wedding.

Visit On A Whim for your holiday shopping, or your holiday decorating. LOVE them!!!!

 

 

MY NEW OFFICE- THANK YOU "ON A WHIM"

Several weeks ago we were providing flowers for 7 weddings. It was our biggest weekend ever, and in order to create more space in the flower shop my office was hap haphazardly thrown into what our family called the red room. The red room was a little sitting area off of our flower shop. Because this was only 6 weeks ago the above photo is about the only picture I have of my make-shift office before the make over. This was the weekend Elodie came to visit us from France. I hated, yep I said it, hated being moved into the red room and I hated my new office. The red room was our families little room, and it did not feel like it belonged to me. The girls at On A Whim assured me they could create a space that would make me happy, proud, and comfortable. One huge hope was that when the new office was designed I would be able to do consults in this space instead of in our huge family room.

First they suggested painting the red room, a vintage blue. While I did client consults on Monday, the wonderful Peter and Myriam, painted the red room blue. On Tuesday I went to CNU for a college tour with my daughter Hannah. Yes, we have another child preparing for college.

When I returned home on Tuesday night the painting was finished and Donna and Mary Alice from On A Whim were already here getting started with their own kind of magic. I have had many blessings in my life, and my relationship with the ladies at On A Whim is certainly one them.

Every single piece was hand picked by the incredible duo from On A Whim and I feel so honored that they took the time to help me create a new work environment for my continuously growing, and changing business. Every time I come through the doors of On A Whim I want to move in. So to have a room in my house that I love, represent my life at the antique store, as well as my flower shop, it is a true treasure.

Here is my daughter Hannah at the new consultation table.

This hutch is the corner of the room and holds my precious McCoy collection, antique frogs, mason jars, and gifts from my clients. Baskets hold my trade material but all of the containers are vintage unique finds.

Everywhere I look I see things that I have so lovingly used at my weddings. I must have done at least 15 weddings with my antique blue mason jars. I see different things in the room and it immediately takes me back to each bride and the pleasure we all felt the day of the wedding. I found almost all of the antiques I used this year at On A Whim, so this is doubly cool.

I adore the blue chairs that are for my consultation table.

My new work desk is so beautiful, I love the old barn wood and the sexy legs.

and I totally adore my window treatment. Mary Alice found an old architectural piece to hang above the window and I am so happy about this piece.

I also have this sweet little picture of me and my mom at a horse show, I think I was 5 in this picture.

A beautiful old screen door was used to soften the transition from office to our sitting area in the kitchen.

This awesome cabinet was purchased for the files, we are getting sweet little baskets so that it is pretty when you look through the glass.

So now Kelly and Casey have an awesome place to work.

In addition to the office,  we also painted the little piano room. It needed to be painted because it was a little red room, and it was attached to the new blue office. Don't you love how one clean up project effects the whole house. We also used the piano room as a place to hang all of my black and white photos that used to be in the old red sitting room.

Since we were on a roll we got the big room cleaned up as well.

Many thanks to Debbie, Casey, Myriam, Peter, and Albert for redoing the whole house. This was a huge project and certainly above and beyond the call of duty, but it is so exhilarating to have a clean home and fresh work space. We are now back in the flower shop! We have two weddings this week and we are preparing for the holidays as well. My college babies all come home this weekend so I am totally happy.

THANK YOU, Donna and Mary Alice and the whole Holly Chapple Flowers team for helping me download the past, and prepare for the future. I am so totally blessed and as I move forward taking care of my brides I am so comforted by the family, friends, and HCF team that supports me. It will be such a pleasure to work in this space surrounded by the people and things I LOVE!!

 

We Can't Walk "In The Cooler"

 I have to do my "in the cooler post" early this week, one more thing in the cooler and she is going to explode. We have a very wonderful and exciting weekend ahead of us, as you can see we have several different color themes happening and each piece, and each wedding, is simply beautiful. 

 

Every single nook and cranny is full of flowers. Each of these tables is holding several designs and then under the table we have centerpieces stored on the floor. You literally can't walk inside, the walk in cooler. Each morning we have to pull out buckets and designs so that we can get to things we need. It is unbelievable.

The yellow and blue designs are headed to Maryland and they are stunning.

These bouquets are going to Whitehall!

These pieces are going to the Belmont Country Club. They  are in the sitting room because they simply could not fit in the cooler.

These are the amazing centerpieces for a very special wedding that we will tell you all about on Monday.

Everywhere we turn we have props, plants, antiques, and good stuff.  A big shout out to On A Whim Antiques for supplying endless inspiration for our big events. I literally have two van loads full of furniture and cool items to take to our weddings this weekend. I love you, On A Whim. Thank you to every vendor that helped me pick out the perfect "finishing touches" for my events. A special thanks, to Donna, and Mary Alice, who for some reason put up with my creative bursts through the antique store, and the patience they find for me.

Wish us luck, and safe travels, as we journey out this weekend. I hope you all have a great holiday, all of us at Holly Heider Chapple Flowers will be working.