Guest post: Straw flower DIY from Merriment Events

Today’s guest post is from the lovely Courtney of Merriment Events!  She’s come up with a super easy DIY that will dress up any libation….thanks Courtney!

Materials:
Scissors
Scrapbooking paper (2 to 3 colors)
Glue
Straws

Directions:

1. Cut paper into fringe.
2. Layer fringe and glue together.

3. Roll fringe together so that it will slip over straw.

4. Glue end. Slip over straw and pull fringe down.

[images from Kaycee Dean Hopper]

Studio tour: Merriment Events

Name: Courtney Spencer
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Company: Merriment

What do you do? Event planning & design

What is your aesthetic? funky elegant/tradition with a twist

How does your studio style convey your professional aesthetic? I love mixing old + new. My desk is a antique piece I found for a bargain at West End Antiques (hello heaven). The paint is chipping and its edges are worn…I LOVE that. It means it’s had a life before me…it’s full of history and story. There’s something too easy about just going out and buying a room full of new pieces. That so totally isn’t me. I like the thrill of the hunt…finding that one piece that’s just so interesting you can’t leave it behind. And, I abhor officey looking spaces, so instead of leaving my new filing cabinet office park black, I spray painted it ivory and used ribbon as drawer pulls. Pretty + functional. I hope the events I design are full of details that convey story & meaning, just like the pieces in my office.

Where do you go for inspiration? I usually go to antique stores & fabric shops. If I’m really needing to get out of the way, I drive out to the country…Virginia is so beautiful.

What tool do you use in your business that you can’t live without? My hands.

Is there anything you’d upgrade to? More hands.

[images from Katie Stoops Photography]

Love shoot: Kelly + Matt

I’m totally loving this shoot that Courtney of Merriment Events did with photographer extraordinaire, Katie Stoops! Its got such a great vintage vibe, and I definitely think that last photo with the piano is my favorite! Courtney gives a little insight below…

Our couple are college sweethearts. They’re everything that being young and in love is about.

Since we were on a college campus in this magnificent old house called “Camelot,” we took a lot of our inspiration directly from the surroundings.

Camelot is a Grey Gardens kind of place. A house you can imagine was magnificent in its day, but has since fallen in disrepair. The disrepair is the cool part though. I felt like we were going back in time, to the kind of place where vintage books line bookshelves and unpolished silver is plentiful.

[images from Katie Stoops Photography]