Bijou | Idaho Dinner Party | Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms are rolling in and I'm gladly awaiting them.
I don't mean big scary life thunderstorms are rolling in and I'm going to be dealing with 'rain' for a while. I mean actual spring thunderstorms are rolling in outside and I'm loving it! My husband and I woke up to thunder early this morning and it made for quite the alarm!

I also thought today would be a perfect time to catch up on here since I've been MIA for a while. My bad! But I think you all know my blogging consistencies by now.

During the month of March, I was sharing multiple exciting and fun adventures I had throughout the month. I was planning on sharing my last installment of it at the end of the month, highlighting both my trip to Idaho/Idahome and finally announcing my new business venture! However, my trip was filled to the rim and I had no energy left to write about it while there or even on my way home. Also, I was so busy trying to wrap up the details so I could launch my new website! Which I did, and I announced over Facebook and Instagram. So it's likely, if you know me or follow me, that you've already seen it.

But just to highlight the fun facts... I started an in-home event styling business, called Bijou, (pronunciation) here in Birmingham, AL! I'm super stoked about it! I have a passion for people entertaining in their own homes but I know it's not an easy task. So that's where I come in. ;) My website explains it all in detail here! Also, if you are a vendor in the Birmingham area, I would love to connect with you! Contact me and let's chat!

My trip to Idahome was awesome too! I had good quality time with family and friends, birthday celebrations, lots of shopping and a couple event stylings! One being a dinner party with photos I will share below.

I have a plan to use this blog as my new business blog base. As y'all are already aware, I'm not an avid blogger. However, now that I have a styling business, I do know this day in age calls for making the most out of all social media outlets to get your business known and shared. So I will be using this blog for both continuing what I'm already doing and sharing my events through Bijou.

It was such a pleasure to create and style this dinner party while in Coeur d'Alene! I absolutely LOVED my client's china, mix of sterling silver flatware and the chargers. My design recipe was a lavish garden feel. I collected fresh flowers from Fred Meyer, (They really have a great selection for flowers when you don't want/need/have time to order. However I don't have FM in Bham!) and beautiful greenery from Flower Bar in Riverstone, in Coeur d'Alene. If you live there, you should definitely check it out and meet Shawn who owns the place! She's SO sweet and her new store is full of charm and pretty things! I also used a cement "boat" from The Attic for the centerpiece.

Ok, onto photos! Here is what I designed for the dinner party:

Dinner prep, by the hostesses

Dessert table

Candlelit

Hope y'all have a great rest of your week!
xo,
t.

Birthday balloon, business cards, backstage passes and a sprouting tomato

Last week, I celebrated my 24th birthday. So for the next two(ish) months, my husband and I are the same age. Thrilling news I know!

But wait- there's more! I also received via mail my new business cards! Yes, B U S I N E S S CARDS! I'm officially a business woman..entrepreneur..small business owner..? Whichever, I'm officially that. And I'm officially stoked about it!

I've been waiting to 'announce' it publicly, and I still am. But I figured I can at least announce that part and in a post to come later this week, I will share all the fun details about it!

But back to my birthday week...
It was fun celebrating the two occasions together. My husband asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, and being a total bum about planning anything on my birthday, (I used to plan like a month or more ahead, and one year I hit a wall I guess and just never got into planning ahead for my birthday,) I kept putting it off. So the day before, I finally got around to telling him I wanted to purchase a big round balloon. See, I had gotten a vision from God one night....haha, just kidding. I got a photo idea (from too much Pinterest-ing?) into my head which involved a balloon and my business cards. The picture in my head was way cuter than what I got, but uh well, it was still fun. And I still have the balloon. My husband and I have bets on how long it will last.. hopefully to his birthday in May! (Saving money like a boss.)

So we got the photo I wanted, we celebrated with family here and in Idaho (Skype), we ate red velvet cake made by my sweet mother-in-law, hung out with friends, and I received this darling pretty pair of earrings from my beloved husband:

They are from Blue Nile which is a great online jewelry store! He got my engagement and wedding rings from there too!

. . . . . . . . . .

On Saturday morning, I helped my small group from church at an outreach in a park near downtown Birmingham. We partnered with another company in town to throw an Easter egg hunt for kids in the area.

After that, I headed to the BJCC arena in downtown to meet up with my good friend who lives in Franklin, TN. She and I have known each other since we were 2 or 3 and have been friends for most of that time. She is from Idaho as well and moved to TN about two years ago. She works for Jeremy Camp at the moment and has been on the road on the Winter Jam tour with his family taking care of the Camp kids. So the tour was in Bham last Sat. night and she got backstage passes for the hubs and me. But first, she and I got to have a little time to sit down in the coffee shop downtown, (called Octane. Really cool space!) and visit and catch up on life.

Then we headed back to the arena and I met the Camps, got to hang inside their tour bus, and hung backstage as multiple bands went up and played. We even danced on stage for a minute on two different Family Force 5 songs.

Austin eventually made it after work, and we watched Jeremy Camp, Skillet and a couple others play before we headed home late that night. Neither of us know a whole lot of the newer Christian artists, but I've always enjoyed Jeremy Camp's music and the concert was fun to watch. TONS of people there! The second photo below is my shy attempt at snapping a photo of the chick from Group 1 Crew. (The one bending down to the little boy.) She just went solo recently, but I remember listening to their first album back in my high school/dance team/listening-to-Christian-hip-hop days. (lol) So ya know, I had to get a picture because I was standing right by her. Haven't listened to a song since though...

Now today, I'm packing to head to Idaho tomorrow for a week to visit family. I'm so happy I get to see my family, but I will miss my hubby for a week! First time being apart while married for more than a night. :P I think we'll get through it though. Austin is going to "bach it up" and I will have girl time with my mom and sis! ;)

Oh! I mentioned a sprouting tomato in my title didn't I? Ok so I bought some tomatoes on the vine a couple weeks ago and I noticed the seeds were way darker than normal so I was weirded out and didn't eat all of them. There is one still sitting in my kitchen that started sprouting! It's super weird, and since I have the furthest thing from a green thumb, I had no idea what to do, but didn't want to toss it right away. I asked a friend of mine and we decided I should try planting it and see what happens. I will laugh if it does nothing. I know I could pull the seeds out and plant those, but the tomato has greens coming off of it and it just seems like a waste to me to toss it! Am I wrong? I tried googling but I got bored trying to find the info I need. That's probably why I'm terrible with this kind of stuff.

Ok, I have got to go finish packing and getting the place ready to be left in the hands of a guy all week. (Babe, please don't kill the plants or leave alllll your cloths on the floor every night.)

Until next time-
t.

Saturday in all it's glory. {west elm + kate spade}

MIn the middle of website building (yep, I'm building a website for that thing I'm doing that I'm not publically announcing yet..) Saturday chores, FaceTiming family and getting ready to go to a wedding shower, I want to share about West Elm and their Kate Spade Saturday collection! (Whew, sorry that was a long sentence!)

If you haven't checked out West Elm, you should! They are a sister company of Pottery Barn. But they have such a unique style and I love it more every day! 

My hubby and I even registered there when we got married. We own a lot of fun items (gifted and bought) and it really is a great mix of both of us.

My hubs loves the more modern look, and though I like it too, I always tend to lean towards more traditional style. West Elm is actually a perfect mix of the two (or at least in my opinion,) and their unquie looks stand out.

They teamed up with another one of my huge faves, Kate Spade (!!!) and created the Kate Spade Saturday collection. It's vibrant, fresh and full of life and I want to get my hands on every piece! (Anyone want to give me birthday money?! Jk.)

They have some awesome sales going on right now too! Table top and bedding is all 20% off right now. And then each week they have different items on sale.

One thing I also love, is they work with local vendors in whatever city each store front is in, and bring them in to showcase the local's stuff! They have different lines they carry of cool artists from all over as well. Always new styles popping up!

So check them out and see for yourself! And let me know what you think!

Here are some wishlist items I have:

This Belgian linen stripped duvet cover in 'pale harbour' has got a strong hold on me. 😍 

Also, I have come to the realization I want and need a pouf. I mean who doesn't?!

Also this chair, that mirror, those table cloths and so much more!

xo,

t.