Valentines Day

You know when you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep because your heart is beating to sight of heart-shaped balloons, pink lipstick and retro hair styles? I do! This is where this sweet & simple styled shoot began. As a wedding designer, love is my life! {pinch me, I am so lucky} I could not help but want to style a shoot that was just simple, sweet, light-hearted..what love is!

I started sketching a simplistic, yet adorable, idea of mint and blush focused around Cupid’s big day. The planning began, vendors were contacted, I bought a white statue of a poodle (doesn't every shoot need a white statue of a poodle? We named him Fluffy)...and in a couple days it was scheduled to be brought to life.  I dyed a vintage petticoat and modern dress baby pink and combined them together for a feminine-meets-retro look.  Dudley's Desserts made sparkling, vegan cupcakes and donuts that were displayed on a pink cake stand and made us all drool. Somehow 10 heart heart-shaped balloons fit in the back of my car and were placed behind Rusty Love's mint green bench. The awesome retro-inspired hair & makeup from Behind the Veil painted the final touch on the day. Our beautiful and playful model, Lori,was unbelievably perfect for the vision as Dani Leigh Photography shot the fun!  

We had a ball! See it featured on the fabulous Capitol Romance here!

 

Team of Lovelies:

Photography:   Dani Leigh Photography

Design,Styling, Props: Elle Ellinghaus Designs  <-yippee

Desserts: Dudley's Desserts

Hair & Makeup: Behind the Veil  

Location, bench & pillows: Rusty Love Vintage Rentals
Model: Lori Finestine

tuesday shoesday

...a pink tie affair.

by Chiq

[thanks to Jessica Ferraro for this Tuesday's Shoesday]

pinkies up....

Tea themes are becoming so popular for baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, you name it. Two things are a must for a tea time: a steamy tea table...and dainty-licious centerpieces. Pinkies Up Please...




the banner reads 'love is steamy' {click for bigger image}

 

decor by elleDESIGNS. Photo by  Regina Marie Photography

 





decor by elleDESIGNS. Photo by  Regina Marie Photography



decor by elleDESIGNS. Photo by  Regina Marie Photography



cards pretty enough to frame

I love making cards, but what I love even more is walking into a new nursery and seeing the card I made framed on the dresser. Why not get a little creative and instead of buying one off the rack, personalize it and make it too pretty or personal to throw away. Use your scrapbooking things, paintshup on your computer, or as my artsy Aunt Laurie always does, she draws a beautiful picture. Here is one of my favorites for our friend's baby shower.

Lingerie Shower Invitations

Perhaps my favorite invitation I have designed to date. Its fun, flirty, and super girly. The Maid of Honor loved it so much she placed another order asking to change the date on the leg to the bachelorette party date and send her the image. They got it made into shirts for the bachelorette party! That made me so happy that she liked it so much I sent it to her for free.

Fun, Sexy, Lingerie Shower Invitations by elleDESIGNS

Sugar, doot doot doot doot, do do....

I was discussing with Hanna's Mom about the birthday party for her daughter she wanted me to plan and make a cake & desserts for. I asked if she had any type of decor or cake ideas in mind. She told me for 75 people and then turned me over to my biggest client ever...little 5 year old Hanna.

     "I love sugar. Yes i do. I like Cake and Ice Cream with cherries on top, a donut is nice too. I can only eat them on Sundays, but my party is on a Sunday, so that is "A" ok. I the colors

of watermelons too. But I do not like watermelon. I like Coconut."

And that was all i needed....



by elleDESIGNS5 year old Birthday Party. 4 tier Dessert Cake.



 by elleDESIGNS5 year old Birthday Party. 4 tier Dessert Cake.



Bridal Shower Invitations. Sugar Buffet!

At your wedding, please let me give you advice and never ever have a "dessert reception." I say the following all the time, but this is the first party you and your hubby-to-be are going to host, make it good, impressive, lovely! Guests are coming to your beautiful wedding, giving you gifts (well hopefully), treat them like adults...not 5 year olds on a sugar rampage. Dessert bars? GREAT, but not an enitre evening devoted to sweets!

HOWEVER, Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Shower, Maid of Honor Shower, Engagment Parties....let their be sugar! I just finished these for a client for a Sugary Sweet Bridal Shower. It is an afternoon of tea and pastries. She deserves a great shower. She has asked that in lieu of gifts, the money to be donated to the ASPCA (big YAYE from me!!) and to breast cancer research. Sprinkles to her!

by elleDESIGNS. OH, SUGAR SUGAR Bridal Shower Invitation. contact for more info.



 

Hey Valentine...Come here often?

Happy Valentines Day

to all the Lovers, Married, Engaged (...or soon-to-be Engaged as of tonight, hee hee)

Give your Valentine some 'sugar' in style...

...and go ahead, take the long way home {wink}...

STD's are fun...

..As in Save the Dates of course!

Show the personality of your wedding in the STDs and Invititaions. If your wedding issuper formal, maybe try something a little more elegant. My wedding in June was FUN, flirty, and we still have people going on and on about it...so our STDs matched. 100% hand-made. As you know I love graphic design, so we took a bunch of pics pretending to hold letters. I then inserted all the letters in our hands on the computer. I have done a few of these for some of my brides since and they are adorable. Adorable, especially if you are having a photobooth at your wedding! 



Photo Booth Design Save the Dates by elleDESIGNS. Contact for more info.



Gift Cards that come from the heart..

I know, I know. Gift cards can seem so impersonal...but deep down, isn't that what you would want? A certificate to a store you love? To spend on just yourself? For whatever you want? Those fab pair of stiletto heels you saw in the window, the newest purse at Coach, all new designer make-up, a life size poster of Johnny Depp? OK, you get my point. I do understand that although receiving a gift card is always splendid, being the "giver" of one may seem a little, "here you go, I didn't have time to shop," or even worse, "I know nothing about you, soooo...get what you want."

How about this. Show how much you love them and that you did put forth tons of effort...in the presentation! Even go as far as using their favorite colors. Here is an example to follow so you can see the process of the cuteness! I have no shame saying happy birthday & i love ya with this!

911 bags for bridesmaids

Everyone is worried about the bride, but why not show your bridesmaids you care with worrying about them. Here is an example of ones I make. I stamped muslin bags with the date and filled it with necessities:

• shot of liquor
• lip gloss
• tylenol
• coffee to go
• saftey pins
• nail file
• gum
• hair tie

With these tools, a bridesmaid can make it through any situation! Make your own or contact me for more info!

Happy Birthday...Mon

The birthday girl has an obsession with Corona & the beach. Corona vases and flip flop favors to the rescue!



A Corona Beachy theme birthday by elleDESIGNS.



Pretty in Pink Backyard Bridal Shower

I was able to turn the backyard into a unique Pink & Black Bridal Shower. Italian themed, complete with Italian music, Chianti bottle centerpieces, breadsticks at every table, Servers (the Dad & Uncle)with pink and white aprons. No silly bridal shower games, just wine, music, and presents. 





pink and black outside bridal shower. elleDESIGNS

  

Inside we cleared out the sun room and made a drink bar, dessert bar, and appetizer bar. Outside sat 5 tables of 8 across the layered decks. When the sun went down, the deck lit up with twinkle lighst that were wrapped in the handmade garland.

the bride and her handsome servers, dad and uncle.

Let your maids dance the night away...

dancing shoes: what an adorable part of a bridesmaid gift or just a little something extra for the day of the wedding. they can kick off the heels you made them wear and relax. how cute...and how simple! I like to tag everything with little rhymes, makes it that much cuter!

materials:

• Muslin or Burlap Bags. Paper Bags or boxes work too!
• Letter stamps & acryclic & ink color of your choice
• flip flops. your fav designer or even check target, joanne fabrics, ebay for cheaper alternatives
• an optional cute tag to explain.