Lions and zebras and elephants oh my! {a bijou baby shower}

Hello and happy mid-week to everyone! I hope your week has been good so far. My Monday was a total Monday. But yesterday was way better due to writing and uploading this post full of cute little animals. :) Now it's ready to be shared with you!

Last month, I had the privilege of styling a sweet jungle filled baby shower. I truly enjoyed working on it, and was so pleased with how it turned out! Lots of women came and enjoyed a fun afternoon celebrating a new little life that's about to begin.

Check out all the details below! Credits listed at bottom.

It was a great start to my crazy busy month of June. And now I can't believe it's already the middle of July! 

Thanks to my awesome client who hired me to help her with this very special day in her family's life. I'm honored to be apart of events like this, that will be remembered for years to come!
t.

CREDITS:
Location - private residence, Birmingham, AL
Styling - Bijou - in-home event styling
Invitations: Vistaprint
Meri Meri Animal Parade paper products, decor, plates and cups - Beau Coup, also found on Amazon
Food - Family members and friends
Mini cupcakes - Pastry Art, Homewood, AL
Other decor, chalk board art, serving trays and advice cards, - Bijou
Flowers - Whole Foods, arranged by Bijou
Photography - Taylor Smith of Bijou

Blackberry. Mint. Moscow Mule. Can it get any better?!

Ok, it's about time I share this pretty bad boy with y'all! We still have lots of summer left and this drink is perfect for your next weekend at the lake, summer BBQ or even just a night in with your spouse!

Weeks, ok- more like a couple of months ago, (eek, don't hate me!) I shared a sneak peek of this recipe on Instagram with promises of a blog post to follow. Realizing it never actually got posted, I'm here to finally share an AMAZING drink concoction with you. That is, if you like moscow mules. Or ginger beer. To be honest, the first time I tried a moscow mule, I didn't like it. I didn't exclusively hate it, it was just weird. But it has grown on me greatly and now it's one of my main choices these days!

My friend Becca tagged me in a photo that Real Simple had shared on their Instagram for the following recipe; (blogged by another girl who's link is at the bottom of this post.) So while Becca and her husband were over one night, we tried it out. (And now I'm questioning why I haven't made it more often!) It's actually a super easy recipe. I mean moscow mules are already simple, so this is just a couple of more ingredients!

{Recipe based on two servings. The photos are for four.}

Ingredients:

Blackberries - 12
Limes - 2
Mint Leaves - 12
Ginger Beer - 2
Crushed Ice - recommended, but not necessary
Vodka - optional

Directions:

Muddle 6 blackberries, one lime cut into wedges, and 6 mint leaves in the bottom of each glass until all the juices from the berries and limes have been released.

Fill glasses with crushed ice.

Add Vodka, if desired. (1 shot, more or less on how you like it.) Then top off with ginger beer and stir to mix well.

Garnish with extra berries, mint leaves, and lime wedges.
Serve immediately.

Also, big thanks to Becca Smith for sharing the recipe with me when she found it, and also playing hand model for the evening! :)
Enjoy!
t.

Original blogger/blog post here.

Ingredients:
Blackberries - 12
Limes - 2
Mint Leaves - 12
Ginger Beer - 2
Crushed Ice - recommended, but not necessary
Vodka - optional

Directions:
Muddle 6 blackberries, one lime cut into wedges, and 6 mint leaves in the bottom of each glass until all the juices from the berries and limes have been released.
Fill glasses with crushed ice.
Add vodka.
Top off with ginger beer and stir to mix well.
Garnish with extra berries, mint leaves, and lime wedges.
Serve immediately.

Let's Brunch.

Back in the Spring, I styled this brunch shoot as one of my kickstarts to my business- bijou. I love the idea of inviting friends over to relax at a cozy table, where we can visit over yummy foods and clink our mimosa glasses. With the sun out, the birds signing and a great view ahead, this brunch on the patio was a winner in my book!

The great thing about this, was it took hardly any time to plan and execute. I first figured out how to seat six. I pulled two tables together, and though they were different heights and different shapes, I used that to my advantage by giving the set up it's own unique design.

I didn't have a big enough table cloth at the time to fit my unique set up, so a white quilt did the trick! But even better, it gave the table a comforting and welcoming look.

I foraged the flowers from the dog woods and other trees around the area. Zero cost!

I bought the food at the local grocery stores, as I didn't have time to make it all myself. (But I'd love to plan another to bake some goodies for, or even have everyone bring their own favorite dish!)

So check out the rest of the loveliness below, and let me know what you think! I love sharing this to show y'all how easy it is to take a few items in your home to set up something sweet, with no hassle! Invite your friends over soon and brunch it up!

Thanks for checking it out! If you liked it, I'd love to hear! Also, follow all the fun projects by bijou on Instagram: @bijoustyling and visit my website for more info- bijoustyling.com!

t.