Crafts

I have a tendency to spend quite a bit of time on sites that I have no business looking at.  Anthropologie.com is no exception.  Every girl needs a little self-indulgence though, right?  When I saw that Anthropologie was featuring ochre accents, my heart leaped for joy.  I’ve been pretty obsessive about the color lately, pouring over sites trying to find ochre pillows for my couches, a lamp for my console, and wallpaper for my eventual closet-turned-office space.  I may have to save my pennies for this fabulous wallpaper.

Whitney

Blog…what’s a blog? No, I’m not that daft! But I never in a million years thought I would be doing one! Although, I have always thought my career path was quite fascinating! Bright eyed young (and old) things are always asking about details in wedding/event design and planning. Are there really bridezillas? (YES)…What’s the craziest wedding you’ve had? (Bikini Bride with full train say’s “I DO” and walks down the aisle with her new husband straight into the pool surrounded by life size lobsters & Rio girls!!). I have literally been told at least once a week that I should write a book on my career and the past of the famous facility I now run! But books are so old school…welcome to the future!
My family has owned the Secret Garden at the famous Las Vegas Racquet Club since 1962. I am 4th generation and initially wanted nothing to do with the business! I graduated with honors in 1995 and went to BYU in hopes of becoming a famous plastic surgeon…yeah, that didn’t happen! I worked at a bridal dress shop during college and fell back in love with the magic of weddings! So I grabbed my husband of 8 months and high-tailed it back to Vegas! I’ve worn every hat there is in event planning and design, so I will proceed to tell you the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truth…

So in addition to running a busy wedding facility, a household consisting of a cool, but eye-rolling husband, two kids almost a decade apart, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a fish; my new “blog job” is to entertain the masses with my outrageous wedding stories, give solid advice for your personal events, and tidbits of personal insight to my everyday existence. I hope you are ready for the roller coaster I call normal!

Erin

I have been all a flutter, dreaming of dessert tables.  I see a cool architectural element and start envisioning the possibilities. I was laying in bed last night and started thinking about some pictures that I took while in Paris last year and thought they would be great inspiration for a table. 

Your job: decide which photo will be the best inspiration for a dessert table.  Leave a comment and let Whit and I know what you would like to see and we will create it! 

Heather

In an effort to give my sister a taste of what I love to do in life, we created a mini-dessert table together.  She made a comment about half-way through our escapade that it was a lot more work than what she expected, and the woman speaks the truth.  Dessert tables are time consuming, but for me, the reward far outweighs the work.

The color choices were inspired by Glory of Glorious Treats.  I think these colors are so very summery.  They make me want to sip a lemonade while wearing a floppy sun hat. 

 

Stay tuned for a tutorial on the paper garland next week!

Whitney

This is, hands down, my family’s favorite chicken recipe! I love how simple it is to make, and it pairs with a tasty garden salad like a dream!  The more you get to know me, you will find I love balsamic vinegar and will use almost any excuse to add it to my plate.

Balsamic Grilled Chicken

4  Boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 c  Olive Oil

1 c  Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp  Agave

1 tsp  Dried oregano

1 tsp  Dried basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

An hour or two before you are ready to grill, mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, agave, oregano, basil, salt and pepper in a Ziploc bag.  Add the chicken and marinade for up to, but no more than 4 hours.  Place chicken on the grill and cook until it reaches 165 degrees.

Heather