something i’m working on.

Anytime I’m asked to contribute to an event or shoot as a designer or stylist, I start with an inspiration/mood board 1st. It really helps me to wrap my head around the overall concept of the shoot and helps me hone in on what the overarching story is. Inspiration can come from anywhere, and when I’m asked to participate on something that really excites me, I tend to have a brain that just won’t shut off – inspiration boards help me keep myself in check. Too many ideas can sometimes actually be a bad thing (at least for me) and boards always make me feel like I’ve got everything under control. They are also a great way to make sure you and your client are on the same page – bonus!

Today I’ll be chilling alongside the fab Julie Harmsen while we work some styling/photography magic for the gals over at Blog Brunch. I’m really, really stoked to be collaborating with the BB team as their mission of building a blogging community that is collaborative, inspirational and informative is something I truly believe in. If you haven’t brunched with us yet, head over here to find out more details! When’s the next brunch you ask? May 5th! Don’t miss it!

photo cred : {1, 6, 9, 12, 13 sunday suppers | 2, 8 the burning house | 5 via rikshaw design | 10 lotta agaton via jelanie blog |

DIY quilted escort cards.

I’ve been dying to get some fun DIY projects up on the blog and I couldn’t think of a better day to start than the most mushy day of the year!

Happy Valentine’s Day friends!

This first official DIY was certainly inspired by today’s LOVEfest! Adam and I are working hard to dine “in” more often – i.e. making more meals at home. Second goal? Less meals at the coffee table and more meals at a set table….gasp! With that comes the desire to style up our dinner tabletop with the prettiest of place settings to keep those creative juices flowing and to liven up the drab dinner plate.

I wanted to create a fun escort card that could go along with my dream Valentine’s Day tabletop. The classic heart shape felt like a “must” but I wanted it to have a unique twist with fun texture. These little “quilted” escort cards are a total cinch and are perfect for a valentine’s day party or dinner surprise for your sweetheart! Or change up the colors and shape cutout and use it for any party or event!

Here’s what you’ll need:

scissors, craft cutting board or x-acto knife (optional, but will create the the straightest lines), firm cardstock for escort card, colorful sheets of paper (i used 3 various pink/red shades for this project), glue runner, fun washi tape, pen

The Steps:

Step 1: Cut firm cardstock into escort card shape (3 1/2 x 5″) and score line down center of card for easier fold. (You can eliminate this step and save time by buying precut escort cards from a craft supply store).

Step 2: After folding escort card down center, cut out half heart shape from center of card with scissors. *Tip: save the heart cutout and use as template so that other hearts are about the same size.

Step 3. Cut a square out of pink paper. You want to make sure the square is large enough to “fill” the inside of the heart.

Step 4: Cut straight lines into the square making sure NOT to cut all the way through but leaving a little uncut edge. This is where I used the cutting board to ensure that each line was the same width and was super straight.

Step 5: Cut out strips of paper using other sheets of colorful paper. You can make these strips at the width of your choosing. In this case I cut the red ones at 1/4″ and the coral ones at 1/8″. Also, make sure that the strips are at least 1/2 inch longer than your square in Step 4.

Step 6: Start weaving the red strip of paper through precut square to create quilt affect. Tip: be sure to “push” each strip tight against the square with your finger tip. You don’t want there to be any holes and you want the lines as straight as possible. Repeat the weaving process using color strips alternating between red and coral color.

Step: 7: Use glue runner to glue around edge of precut heart on underside of escort card.

Step 8: Lay quilted paper facedown against glue to fill heart space. Using colorful washi tape secure edges of quilted square on underside of escort card to ensure paper won’t come undone.

Step 9: Write name of guest on escort card and place on tabletop.

Extra fun and very green Step: Use leftover heart cutouts to top dessert.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Muah! xoxo!

photo cred: {jenn elliott blake}

a wedding show + an open house.

Last month I had the pleasure of providing some of my vintage goodies to Twelve Baskets Catering for their booth at the Seattle Wedding Show. Jaffrey & the team nabbed some fab pics of the booth that I’m sharing on the blog today. The tabletop was my fav…absolutely gorgeous, right?! They did such a great job with the design of their booth!

I will also be participating in their open house coming up this week (rescheduled due to that crazy Seattle snow storm!) and would love to see you there! It’s the perfect opportunity for you brides and grooms out there to see a stunning venue: 415 Westlake, and sample some yummy grub from Twelve Baskets. You can also touch/feel/rent some loot from scout. vintage rental co. while you’re there! RSVP and find details here!

photo cred: {twelve baskets catering}

sunday dreaming / 38.

dreaming of…

a super bowl.

i know. SUPER cheesy, right? but i couldn’t resist when the words came out of adam’s mouth when i asked “what am i dreaming about today?” i have been on the hunt for some new pretties for our kitchen anyways…hmmmm.

happy super bowl sunday friends! go giants!

photo cred: {bright bazaar via west elm}

friday find : something to celebrate!

It’s Friday! AND…..it was SUNNY today! Yippee!

I couldn’t help but do a little happy dance in my driveway this morning when I stepped out and felt that glorious warmth touch my face. It felt as though there were so many things to celebrate this Friday:

1. Sun! It deserved a second mention.

2. It’s Superbowl weekend! What does that mean? A super chipper hubby and a no-guilt weekend full of non-stop mini-bites, pizza and beer. Who are you rooting for?

3. Tomorrow is Blog Brunch! If you’re a blogger and are looking to learn more about sponsorship and monetizing then stop by for brunch!

4. My adorable new vintage glasses above! They just sing “celebrate with me!” and were definitely a highlight on a recent estate sale trip.

5. Some pieces from my scout. collection get to come out and play this weekend at BLOGSHOP!

6. Despite waiting a loooonnnnggg time at the doctor’s office this afternoon (2 hours to be exact!), I found out that hip surgery might not have to happen! I’ve been struggling with significant hip pain for over a year now, and was SUPER relieved to find out that a shot of pain killers might just do the trick. Cross your fingers for me on Monday!

7. I’m planning a trip to Europe with my little sis! Coli and I will be spending 6 weeks traveling Europe this May/June and I CANNOT wait! I’ll be mapping out our route this weekend.

8. Oh, and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! What do you have planned?

Happy Weekend friends!!

*JB

friday find: dressing the tabletop.

I’ve been dying to get back into full time scouting. My vacation and a couple new (although VERY exciting!) projects have slowed me down a bit from finding new items to add to my collection, but yesterday I hit the pavement again in search of some pretty tabletop wares to add to the mix.

My goal is to get plenty of adorable china in all mismatchy patterns, so that any guest count (1 – lots) can enjoy the prettiness that can come from an eclectic table setting. There is such an unexpected charm that comes from mistmached china on a tabletop and I’m so excited to be offering more options to my clients.

I’m actually delivering a bunch of china pieces to a baby shower this weekend and I’ve had so much fun tonight picking out the exact pieces to take. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they are all unique – they’re all bring their own little flair to the party.

I hope you have a great winter weekend!

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

scout. launch party!

It’s always the best feeling in the world when a design you’ve spent many months tossing and turning about in your mind finally comes to life! Last month, I had the immense pleasure of collaborating with Trophy Cupcakes and showcased my scout. vintage rental co. collection in their adorable party room. The whole evening was SUCH a blast and I was so excited that so many of you came out to see my loot!

When dreaming up a way to share my collection my 1st thought was: “oh my gosh, how will I ever make it all fit?!” and 2nd…”I want people to be inspired.” The whole intention behind my vintage rental biz is to encourage others to find beauty in things that might otherwise be considered past their expiration date. I absolutely adore repurposing old items into new designs, and threaded that passion into a lot of the party details for the launch.

I wanted the overall design to emphasize the immense amount of color that I have within my collection. Blue chairs, green tables, orange enamel colanders. I’m obsessed with color and the party was nothing short of a color explosion!

My dear sweet friend McKenzie who also happens to be one of the most AH-MAZ-ING floral designers in Seattle, was kind enough to offer her own dose of color to the party with some stunningly gorgeous florals. The second McKenzie arrived the morning of setup I was flabbergasted by her floral choices for the party. Are those gigantic neon pink peonies not the most amazing things you’ve ever seen?! So so good. Thank McKenzie!!!

The entire design for the room started with the ceiling. I’ve been collecting vintage fabric for sometime and I really wanted to create a vibrant fabric canopy over the party. After many tireless hours of knot tying the canopy came to life. I also incorporated an installation in the center of the room using the wire skeletons of old lampshades. Thank you Adam, Heather & Kate for your additional hands with setup & prep! Couldn’t have done it without ya!

My green hutch is definitely one of my favorite pieces and I was so excited to use it as one of the focal points of the room. The cocktail & cupcake party wouldn’t have been complete without some champagne and little mason jars & thanks to Hads, Emma & Christa everyone had drinks in hand through the night! Thanks gals!

One of the things that I was really adamant about with regards to my scout. marketing is that I didn’t lose the vintage aspect of the brand in the details. I cringed at the idea of using a modern looking business card to promote my business. So after a bit of deep thinking I came up with the idea of using vintage used postcards (some of the one’s I’ve found have dated back to the early 1900’s!) and placing a sticker on top of them with all my info.

I have this really crazy rad mint colored mattress frame that worked perfect for displaying my biz postcards during the event. I filled the mattress with a bunch of pillows I’ve found while scouting and a few I made on my own from leftover fabric.

I also really wanted the party to be a direct reflection of the personality of the pieces. I’d been dying to name each piece for sometime and figured the party was the perfect way to kind of say “hello my name is” for each unique piece. My buddy Amy (a stellar graphic designer who is currently revamping the scout. brand) suggested I use library cards in bright colors from the adorable paper co. Knot & Bow to display the names and details of my items. GENIUS! I was swooning over the library cards when they arrived in the mail, and after multiple attempts to get that “vintage typewriter” look (I actually begged my printer to cooperate during a 4am debacle) I was incredibly pleased with how they turned out!

Overall, I’m ecstatic with how the party turned out, and I was so grateful for the generosity of all of the people that stopped by. The party left me with visions of my own storefront one day, and I can’t thank Jennifer and her team at Trophy enough for all of their help in making the party a total success!!!

P.S. Thank’s to Mo for all the great shots and for being there to capture the night!

photo cred: {Mo Hines Photography}

sunday dreaming / 30.

dreaming of…

that thanksgiving feast.

I’m in Colorado this week to celebrate thanksgiving with my family, and I’m already salivating from the thought of mashed potatoes & gravy and that pumpkin pie! Yum, yum, YUM!

This Thanksgiving feast collaboration featured on design sponge last week got me all the more excited for the grub to come. If only every celebration could look this gorgeous, right?! Oooooh my word! This spread is definitely inspiring me to really hone in on those holiday details this season!

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone!

photo cred: {braedon photography via design sponge}

what a night.

It’s unbelievably amazing to think that a year ago I was sitting on a bench on Pont Louis Philippe in Paris gazing out across the glistening Seine and wondering what my life could be. I wondered if my life could be all the things I wanted it to be: real. honest. full of whimsy and colorful happiness. And despite the grey dreariness that completely engulfed me on that chilly fall day, I still felt a warm, completely comforting goodness that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was a goodness I attempted to laso, one I gravitated towards, one which made me feel like there was something bigger out there for me. Something I just needed to believe in. I felt a feeling that made me feel like I could come home and really do something. Something BIG.

Last night that something big came to fruition. My launch party was the biggest thing I have probably ever tackled. Really. After hours and hours of prep, many all nighters, sore knees & ankles, buckets of love and support from my friends and my husband, my dream of owning my own business REALLY came true. Last night I shared my business ventures with my community and it felt all the things I wanted it to feel: real. honest. colorful. and every bit of the whimsy I could have ever imagined.

I can’t thank the team of Trophy Cupcakes and Jennifer Shea enough for their generosity. Allowing my launch party to take place in their gorgeous party room was such a delight. My vintage pieces felt so at home against the cool dark wood floors and stark white walls. I ended the night never wanting to leave their space and wished I could have opened up shop right then and there. It was such a pleasure to work with such an amazing company and I am so grateful for Trophy!

Thank you to everyone that came last night and shared in my joy of a dream come true. Thank you for showing love to my pieces and making them feel important and valued. Thank you to those of you whom I’ve been dying to meet and were generous enough with your time to stop in and say hello – it was such a privelage meeting you! Thank you to my friends (Heather, Kate, McKenzie, Hadley, Emma, Monica, Christa, Maggie, Steve & Jason) for spending many hours helping with prep, set-up and tear down. Thank you to my husband for always being my knight in shining armor and for believing in me – having you be proud of me is my greatest accomplishment. Thank you to my family who despite being far away were there in my corner – I felt your love and presence. And thank you to Paris for being that place that makes me feel like anything is possible.

Here’s to scout. … my newest business baby. I am so proud of what you are, what you’ve become and where you are going. I loved every last bit of last night and I have my charming vintage collection to thank for that.

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

prop styling.

I’ve always been incredibly drawn to intentionally styled photographs. Whether it be fashion, food, events or interiors there is just something I find absolutely intriguing about prop styling. If I could spend the rest of my life “styling” for a living I’d be one happy gal!

So when I stumbled across some crazy amazing styling talent here, I couldn’t resist sharing some inspiration. Beautiful right?

photo cred: {hans blomquist, lo bjurulf and stella nicolaisen via agent bauer}

friday find: the knot event.

Last night I had the pleasure of participating in The Knot networking event here in Seattle. BreeAnn of Pink Blossom Events and Heather of heathoriginal. asked me to create a dessert display using items from my scout. collection and it was SO much fun to get creative!!!

I used ladders, wooden spools, frames, my favorite brass rimmed trunk and lots of fun little antique goodies & some new finds to add some vintage flair to the dessert table. I had such a blast participating in the event and was so thrilled to meet some new peeps! Thanks to everyone that came! So much fun meeting you!

Up next for scout.? A launch party!!! Yep. I’m stoked. Details coming soon! But 1st….2nd Saturdayz! Tomorrow is the second weekend of the month so I’ll be scoutin’ like crazy.

Happy weekend ya’ll!

*JB

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

pic me a palette: the plate.

I truely believe that design inspiration can come from anywhere. So what’s to say that inspiration for your wedding or event color palette can’t come from the dinner table?

photo cred: {anthropologie}

featured on SMP!

Today is a good day. A REALLY good day.

When I first started my event design & styling biz I only had dreams of one day making it to a feature on Style Me Pretty. Style Me Pretty is major. REALLY major. It’s the most popular wedding blog out there, dripping with only the most gorgeously detailed weddings imaginable. It’s the place where every wedding creative I’ve ever met dreams of having their work featured. And it was a BIG dream for me when I started this new business.

Vanessa & Tony’s wedding was quite simply amazing. Not only did I get to create a design and coordinate the day from start to finish, but I got to witness two of the most important people in my life commit their lives to one another. The entire wedding was one of those “out of the body” experiences and today feels much of the same. Today Vanessa & Tony’s wedding is being featured on Style Me Pretty and I could NOT be prouder.

I also am SO SO SO stinkin’ grateful for the photography brilliance of my dear friend Mo. Monica captured Vanessa & Tony’s wedding in the most genuine way…she really captured the beauty that is Vanessa & Tony and I’m so grateful for it!

Head over to SMP today and check out the feature here! Don’t forget to view the entire gallery here to get all the little details!

photo cred: {screen shot from style me pretty}

Event Design, Styling, Floral Concept + Coordination: {bow tie & bustle event design + styling} Wedding Photography: {Mo Hines Photography} Flowers: {Mazarte Florals} Calligraphy: Letters By Ellen / Venue, Catering + Make-up: Cabo Surf Hotel / Paper Goods + Invitations: bow tie & bustle event design + styling / Bride’s Hair: Mandi Rhodes / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Cabo Surf Hotel

bow tie wednesday / 09.

tabletop bow ties.

photo cred: {black via enjoy events co. & sitting in a tree} {yellow via martha stewart weddings} {polka dot via hot polka dot}