My hubby’s 30th birthday was this past week. My sister-in-law came out for the week and the hubby took a vacation. We had a blast. There was a beach visit, a tour of Portland, many picnics, and a lot of pictures taken. My sister’s boyfriend brought a really snazzy camera and took family photos for us. I can’t wait to share those photos… 

but, in the meantime, I wanted to share one of the “gifts” I did for my husband’s birthday. 

My husband LOVES instagram. 

(As a matter of fact… if you have Instagram and you like seeing pretty photos then you should follow him, @PortlandPorter. He really does have some great photos and 

he counts his followers…so, it would be a gift in itself!) 

It was such fun to play this little game throughout the day on his birthday. And, some of his other friends played as well. I didn’t get to number 30 because my phone died in the middle of the day. 

But, it was a fun time. 

Some of my favorite photos:

I’m sure my instagram followers were overloaded by photos from me… but, it was a lot of fun.

I love instagram challenges. May have to come up with more. 

Maybe something baby related…sure do love looking at baby photos! 

 I’m on a bit of a vacation this week…

but, I didn’t want to leave you high and dry for the week. 

When Patricia, a part-time florist for Serenata Flowers UK, asked if I would like a guest post on DIY floral ideas, I jumped at the opportunity. You know how much I love DIY Floral Decor.
Enjoy Patricia’s tips!

~*~

The one thing to remember when choosing the perfect flowers for your cocktail party decorations is that they don’t have to be costly. Creativity and imagination when creating the flower decorations are the most important factors. Think outside-the-box when coming up with ideas for decorating the cocktail party, and use items already at the party location to showcase the floral decorations. The next step to helping choose the right flowers is to decide if the cocktail party is going to be casual or formal. A great place to find a cheap florist to help select affordable, beautiful flowers for your decorations is at your local supermarket. Most larger grocery store chains have a florist department with a knowledgeable staff. If a person wants flowers shipped to them, then try a postal flower service. The flowers usually come boxed, and they can be delivered to the cocktail party destination on a specific date. An online florist usually has specific floral deals marked postal flowers on their website. These deals offer the customer affordable flower choices specifically selected for those wanting flowers for their cocktail party or special event.

Mason jar centerpieces are a pretty floral decoration idea for a casual cocktail party. Wild flowers, daisies and carnations are great flower choices for a casual event. Chose flowers in vibrant colors like yellow, deep purple and pink. If the cocktail party has a specific color scheme, then dye the florals to match. Another option is to ask the florist where the flowers were purchased if they offer this service, most do.

The fastest way to get several flower decorations done at one time is to line the containers being used in an assembly line fashion. Tie a pretty floral bow around the top of each mason jar. Arrange the florals into a full bouquet. Secure the bouquet at the stems with a rubber band. Place the bouquet in the first mason jar. Make several of these mason jar centerpieces to be placed throughout the areas where the cocktail party is being held. Place a solid colored runner down the main table being used for the cocktail party. Place a few of the mason jar centerpieces down the center of the runner. Another fun idea is to place a mason jar with small bouquets at each table setting, which could also be used as place setting cards. Also, place a few mason jar centerpieces in the entryway and throughout the areas of the cocktail party. When the cocktail party is over, give each guest an arrangement as a thank you for attending the event.

Marble vase centerpieces are an elegant floral decoration choice for a formal cocktail party. Lilies, roses and peonies are great flower choices to use for the decorations. Choose flowers in ivory or soft pastel colors to decorate a formal cocktail party. Fill a large glass vase with clear marbles and water. Arrange the flowers in the vase until a beautiful bouquet is formed. Tie an ivory or white satin ribbon around where the stems meet at top of the vase. Make elegant flower decorations in various sized vases with arrangements varying from one single flower to a full arrangement. Place full marble vase centerpieces at the center of the main tables being used for the cocktail party, fireplace mantles and entryways. Place smaller vase arrangements in front of each plate to be used as name place setting cards. If there is a staircase in the entryway where the cocktail party is being held, then attach single flowers with satin ribbon cascading down the banister.

Patricia Hall works part-time for Serenata Flowers UK an online florist and loves to surround herself with flowers at any given point of time. Even in her free time she loves to involve herself with everything flora and fauna. ‘To me there is nothing more beautiful and global as the language of flowers – it is the easiest to understand all around the world in the same way. That is one reason why I truly admire flowers for what they represent in some ways – unity of all mankind!’

{Full Disclosure}
Patricia contacted me about hoping to do a guest post. This is not a compensated post. I have not used Serenta Flowers before and cannot recommend them first-hand. But, posts like these do help keep A Well Crafted Party running, because I needed a vacation this week! So, thank you for reading and I hope the information inspired!