D.I.F.Y. = Do It For Yourself – Flower Power

Flowers are such a quick and easy pick-me-up, and with spring just around the corner, what better way to D.I.F.Y. than to bring a little bit of the outdoors in. While it may be tempting to rock this gorgeous floral headpiece, we thought we’d give you a more down to earth option. Spruce up your home or office with a potted plant – there are so many floral choices to choose from, you are bound to find one that makes you smile. If flowers don’t do it for you, why not try out Marc Jacobs’ Daisy perfume. Be it a simple bouquet or just a new sweet scent, don’t forget to Do It For Yourself every once in a while.

D.I.F.Y. = Do It For Yourself – London Style

It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of life, and we so often forget to D.I.F.Y. (Do It For Yourself). Although we were brought to London for work, we made sure to take some time for ourselves. Below is our mini-iterinary of some of the D.I.F.Y.’s we did while in London. If you have plans to travel to London anytime soon – or if it’s on your wish list to visit in the future – these experiences exceeded our expectations and we hope they will exceed yours too.

D.I.F.Y.:

1) Laura Welsh – Music always sets the mood. This amazing up-and-coming British singer/songwriter is going to be the next UK sensation. It was such an opportunity to spend some time with Laura, not only is she a rising star on the music scene, but her and her family are some of the sincerest and sweetest people we have met. If you are unable to catch one of Laura’s shows in London, be sure to check out her music on her tumblr site!

2) Jersey Boys – The theatre scene in London is a must-see. With so many productions to choose from, there’s sure to be something for everyone. We loved seeing Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre. Not only was the show outstanding, but you can’t beat the atmosphere.

3) For the foodies – Not that we don’t love a good fish and chips at the local pub (yum!) but we’d like to share our favorite restaurant worth the reservation wait:

- Kensington Rooftop Garden: While we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience, we are clamoring to return in the Spring so we can enjoy their three themed gardens and flowing stream stocked with fish and their resident flamingos. (By the way, they have one of the best cappuccinos we’ve ever tasted).

4) For the shoppers – Oxford street is a must-go, be sure to stop by Liberty for fun and unique fabrics and fashionable trends. Portobello Road – the world’s largest antiques market – is another great shopping scene, if you love vintage wears this is the perfect spot.

5) High tea at the Savoy -  Being fortunate enough to stay at this beautiful hotel for the week, we took full advantage of all that it had to offer, high tea being one of our favorite highlights. Having received the 2011 Award of Excellence from the Tea Guild, this experience lives up to the hype. (Side note – we heard from our waitress that Victoria Beckham had visited a few days prior.)

After this whirlwind trip, we realized how important it is to D.I.F.Y. – our creative juices have been flowing ever since!

First gift, fashionista, five and FREE!

 This week’s love story is on a Tuesday because it marks a special anniversary.

 I drove down Woodward Avenue in a bit of a fog. It could have been the clearest, brightest, most perfect day on record, but the truth of this day was that the world would be gray for a while. Gray and LONG… at least a few hours of this day would be the longest hours of any day EVER. On this day, the reality of the battle hit harder than any of the other battle days. On this day, the magnitude of the entire seven months leading up to this day hit ME.

 That day was January 31^st, the day before my little sister’s 33^rd birthday. If you ask her she will no doubt tell you a different story of that day, but for me that was the LONGEST day of the whole ordeal. It was the day I realized that the package my mother had called “my baby”, the one she had brought home to me 32 years and 364 days earlier was not indestructible. I could have told you before this day that she wasn’t perfect. Perfectly able to push every one of my buttons with expert skill – without a doubt. Perfectly expert in her designer heels from Nordstroms, Saks or wherever she disappears to under the guise of retail therapy, most definitely. Perfect – No. Not, perfect. But, Indestructible – Maybe, indestructible based upon years of sisterhood. Yet,  that was before the longest day.

As I parked my car and went into wait, I sat with my mom and my brother-in-law. I felt sick, anxious and terrified. It was an outpatient procedure, but in these hours I realized that “my baby”, the one who never fails to let me know when “I’m being stupid” and always chimes in with an “I’d do it for you” whether I believe her or not – wasn’t replaceable.

In fact, it occurred to me that she was my first gift. 

 How many times in life do we receive a gift without acknowledging it’s significance or impact on our lives?

Today is a day to celebrate because today my sister is 5 years cancer free.

I hope it’s the longest day on record to date. And, as she plays with her new little baby daughter (same age as Jennifer in the picture above) and sits with my mom and my brother-in-law in her lovely home in a sunny part of the world.  I will be here in Michigan soaking up the gray with a smile and with gratitude.   And as I have been skillfully practiced in button pushing myself, whether she likes it or not. She IS the Fabulous in our Something – in the way only a trendsetting fashionista can be.

 In Grace, with Gratitude and ALL of God’s blessing.

I love you, Jennifer and I am so glad you are my business partner, my friend, my sister and FREE!

ps. It turns out that the anticipated typical gray Michigan day is going to be sunny and 55 today.  Now, that’s what I would call a sign!

D.I.F.Y. = Do It For Yourself

With the New Year here, a few of us at Something Fabulous wanted to take a moment to share with you our new year’s resolution. We’ve put a twist on this classic tradition and instead of focusing on what needs to be perfected we’ve decided to focus on the positive little things in our lives that brighten our day.

Kimberly (the Gypsy) – It’s not in getting but in giving that we receive. Finding ways to support charity organizations reduces my stress, enriches my days and makes me happy. New friends, new lessons learned, new projects with purpose… life changing!

Jennifer (the Fashionista) – My happy moment comes with a perfectly brewed cappuccino. First thing in the morning, when the house is still silent, it’s the perfect time to take a minute for myself and be grateful for each new day.

Joy (the Doodler) – Nothing makes me smile like a creamy piece of dark chocolate. It’s that little pick me up that always manages to perk up my day. My advice for you? Put “eat chocolate” at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you’ll get one thing done : )

We would love to hear how you are going to D.I.F.Y. this year!

from the Gypsy – Fabulously UNPLUGGED!

I unplugged today. For a WHOLE twenty minutes, I loosened the grip of my hand on my Android, replaced the ear buds of my headset to their resting spot, folded my laptop into it’s home in the computer bag and went out into the sunshine for a walk around our neighborhood park.

A  younger me would have first seen the shadows cast through the trees and the shimmers of sunlight peeking through them – an entry for my light journal. The more still me would have immediately noticed the folds of the bark on those trees and the texture of the elm leaves against the marvelously blue sky. But this me, the me I am today, first wondered if leaving my daughter 50 yards away with the parks and rec girl was a safe thing to do and then quietly marveled that I had just done something that everyone should do… and then began thinking about this post.

EXPERIENCES… how many do we miss every day because we are so connected that we aren’t present. Combine that reality of everyday with the emotional reality of life celebrations and the family dynamics that those celebrations can stir and you have a recipe for stress. So what is a person to do?

Cue the sunshine and bird song…

Unplug and get back to the process of your celebration, in our world that experience begins with the end in mind. Answer the following four questions, we have our customers write the answers down or we write them out in our Experiences Summary. Refer to the answers every time you start to feel overwhelmed or offtrack.

1. What is/are your objective(s) – This is the vision or memory of your day. What are you and/or your guests talking about the day after the celebration. “ That was a really great party, WOW, the food (band, dj, décor…) was AMAZING, “the bride’s dress was fabulous and the design was so different”, “that was the most intimate gathering of family and friends” What is YOUR vision/objective?

2.What do you require? The answer to this could be a game changer for the date, time, location of your celebration.

3. What are your preferences? Chivari chairs or ghost chairs, roses or peonies, satin or lace, etc. This is your wish list and it can grow and grow, so it’s good to know in the beginning what is important and how it matches up with question

4.Budget – everyone has one, what is yours? If you started with “I don’t know”, then the answers you come up with are going to help you figure one out. You might be over, you might be under and you might be surprised if you don’t answer this question.

Objectives, Requirements, Preferences, Budget will help you define and design your EXPERIENCE…

If you are planning with someone, be sure you understand the answers of your partner in planning. And, for the bride’s out there. It’s a good idea to do this FIRST before you begin dreaming about flowers and place settings. This way if you and your fiance are writing the checks you’ll understand what’s ahead of you, and if parents are helping no one will be caught in a surprise.

So, I dare you to UNPLUG… turn off the computer, dock your iPhone, stash your headset, iPod, magazines and party day-planner.

I guarantee it will be uncomfortable at first. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, being present for the whole process of your celebration is worth a thousand memories.

Fashion Forward Friday- Loving Lace

Lace, when done right, can add a hint of elegance and romance to your style. It can be playful as well as classic, but remember there are many different styles and patterns. Be sure not to overdo it or you may end up looking like your grandmother’s curtains!

Lace isn’t just for your wardrobe- if you’re a bride, look to incorporate lace into other elements of your wedding. Bring a swatch of  lace from your wedding dress and have your cake designer recreate the pattern for your cake.

Lace is Beautiful and timeless, just like you!

Lace Dress photographed by stockholmestreetstyle

Black and white lace cake found on Real Simple

Fashion Forward Friday: Step into Style in Stripes

Moschino- Runway, Spring Collection 2011

Prada- Runway, Spring Collection 2011

Stripes are in style this Spring, but remember to mix it up for a fresh, flirty look. Whether it be a night out on the town, or added flare to your special event, stripes look great with floral, polka-dots, and many other interesting patterns.

Picture Provided by House Beautiful

Don’t forget to incorporate bold colors! The brighter, the better- beautiful fashion easily transcends into home decor, event design and your own personal style. Don’t be shy- this is the season to shine in stripes!

Invitation Photo provided by Mint Design Blog

A Gypsy, A Fashionista and a Cookie Monster walk into a bar…

So we thought since we’re planning to dole out our sage advice and wisdom as well as share our experiences, resources etc, it’s fitting to give you a little background on how we got to this post.  If you will allow me to do the “Introductions”, my name is Kimberly Allen- the gypsy, and my business partner and sister is Jennifer Charles – the fashionista.     We started our business in 2002 ( the fancy bio versions of us are on our About page, we’ll introduce Sara our Cookie Monster in another post.) Although we are always clear with the fact that we came to this business with solid production and design experience in the “real world”. We did develop our concept for Something Fabulous from our own personal wedding experiences.    And, from those experiences were some lessons learned:

Jennifer’s Story – I had to have “THE BEST”, but we didn’t really have a budget for it.  As a result, my overall wedding experience was expensive and stressful.  My photographer sold us an extra photographer.  When we called the next day to cancel because it really didn’t fit into our budget, she wouldn’t cancel.  That should have been a red flag, but we didn’t know any better.  The real surprise was that the day of our wedding that extra photographer was her husband. And, an emergency at home had both of them leaving my reception early.  When I look back on the day, I had the best, but I didn’t enjoy it like I thought I would.  I LOVED my ceremony. And, the funny thing about that is it was the least expensive/complicated part of the entire experience.   The lesson I learned – You can spend a million dollars on your wedding, but it won’t make it special or personal.  It’s the thoughtfulness and relationships you have that make it special.  Those relationships are your family, friends and the vendors with whom you surround yourself in creating your day.    If I were to do it again, I would do it differently.  I would get to know my vendors on a more personal level, and I would stay truer to what is important to Tommy and I vs. getting caught up in the wedding craze and what the image of “the perfect day” should be.

Kimberly’s Story… After some careful consideration, we decided to get married in England because of my husband’s large, close knit family.  The challenge with this was that I had to let go and accept the assistance from my then fiance’s mum in organizing the day and the details.  I was lucky because I LOVE my mother-in-law, and she has great style, but still I remember having to come to terms with my desire to control everything. I had to let go and trust that it would all come together.  As it turned out, the day was incredible.  We had a traditional English wedding with an American influence. I walked down the aisle at the end of our procession rather than at the beginning. A month or so after returning from our honeymoon, we hosted a “second wedding” for friends and family at home.  Although I would have liked to have had an evening party, the timing and the costs associated with a second party didn’t make sense for us.  Our English wedding was at the beginning of the dollar drop so we paid close to double in exchange rates.  We ended up having an afternoon reception at the same place where my bridal shower took place.  In retrospect, it worked perfectly and my favorite memories of both days were the friends that traveled to be with us.  What would I change?  At the time we weren’t in the business of weddings or flowers, and our DIY efforts ran into a few troubles.  Perhaps it was a last minute case of bridezilla, but I would have spent the two days before the wedding enjoying the experience and the people around me rather than having myself and my family members and friends working on the last minute details.

LESSONS LEARNED -

• Establish a budget and make sure it makes sense for you and your groom.
• Communication is important between you and your groom as well as your parents and family members involved in your day.
• Get to know your vendors and make sure they are people you like and can trust.   The qualities for the chair rental guy are different from those of the guy who is following you around with a video camera all day.
• Be sure to identify your priorities early and schedule them. Be realistic about what you can do yourself and with what you might need extra help.
• Enjoy the whole experience.  It goes by so fast.  Be sure you take time to take it all in.

Where are you in your bridal experience?  Share your best advise or lessons learned here…

Welcome to our IDEAS blog!

We’re the Storytellers, and it goes without saying that we LOVE design, complicated or simple, we love details that meld together and showcase beautiful things, beautiful celebrations, beautiful love stories.

It’s our passion to listen to our client’s personal thoughts about their special celebration and  then turn those musings into an event which not only reflects their personal style, but shares that little something extra, which leaves guests feeling engaged, valued, special.

In creating this blog we recognize that there are many ways to tell a story and there are many blogs and resources in this vast world of things wedding and event related.  It is our opinion that just as you can’t have too many friends,  it is not possible to have too many resources.  So we have identified a format from which we will aspire to inspire, engage and support your wedding and life celebrations.  We will share our IDEAS – Inspiration, Design, Experts, Advice and Stories (love stories)

Welcome to IDEAS by Something Fabulous™ – A blog with your moment in mind

As we get things started, we would love your comments, feedback and suggestions. Thank you!