Monday, June 25, 2012

Napkins

There is no "right way" to fold a napkin. You can choose a simple fold, or an elaborate fold. You can wrap the silverware, drape the napkin over the chair to add a pop of color, or showcase the napkin by itself on the plate or in a glass. There are cool ideas all over the internet, if this selection does not contain the look you are after.

Warning: If you think that creatively folding cloth should be left to the cruise ship and resort staff members responsible for transforming towels into cute and cuddly animals, this post is not for you.

Starting with a few creative basics...

Love the Lace


MarthaStewart.com showcases lace napkin rings. It is a soft and simple look with clean, modern edges.

The Bow


For the perfect napkin bow, lay the napkin flat on the table. Fold opposite sides in so that they meet in the middle of the napkin, and then fold again down the middle. Next, fold the short ends in so that they come together in the center. Use a ribbon to hold the napkin in place. Glue the ends of the ribbon together at the back of the napkin. (MarthaStewart.com)

The Envelope


Decorative and functional! For a step by step explanation (complete with pictures!) visit bumblebeelinens.com.

A Fancy Fleur de Lis


Delish.com gives you all of the details on how to perfect this more elaborate napkin fold. For even more napkin folding options: Click HERE!

The Pineapple


To unlock the secret behind this cute napkin creation, visit napkinfoldingsecrets.com. And if you would really like to impress your guests - try out the one below!

The T-Shirt


That's right. Once a plain square napkin, now a T-Shirt napkin. This particular fold does require an iron. Please exercise caution, and have fun! Visit napkinfoldingguide.com for instructions.


If you can't stop yourself at the dinner napkin, take comfort in knowing that you can customize your cocktail napkins also! No, we're not folding or ironing this time. MarthaStewart.com suggests that you use napkins in different shades of the same color - then take rubber stamps to add a personal touch. You can stamp lyrics from romantic songs, quotes from movies, lines of poetry, etc. You could also write down the story of how you met and use excerpts from it on the napkins. Guests can try to piece the story together as they enjoy their drinks!

Rubber Stamp Cocktail Napkins










Thursday, June 21, 2012

Art for All

The Taft Museum of Art has installed 80 reproductions from its collection around Greater Cincinnati in order to celebrate its 80th anniversary. We first noticed the Rembrandt on Fountain Square a few weeks ago and have since seen buzz about the "Art for All" project online. The program officially runs from June 1st through September 2012 and was funded by The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. (soapbox.com)


Above: Portrait of a Man Rising from his Chair
Painted By: Rembrandt van Rijn
Location: Fountain Square

The reproductions are all framed and weather proof. The 80th anniversary commemoration also includes partnerships with other organizations in the community. For example, ArtWorks is set to create two murals based on works in the Taft's collection. These permanent murals will be installed in Over-the-Rhine and Bellevue, Kentucky.

Locations and pieces include: William Maris' "Cattle in the Meadows," displayed at Findlay Market, James Abbott McNeill Whistler's, "At the Piano," displayed at Music Hall, Jacob Maris' "Rotterdam," which you can find at Newport on the Levee, and there are many, many more. If you are up for the challenge and would like to find all 80, click HERE for a list of pieces and their locations!

Take a picture with the artwork and share it on Flickr! Click HERE.


Pictured above: Anna Sinton Taft
Painted by: Raimundo de Madrazo Garetta in 1902
Location: The Cincinnati Zoo

Friday, June 15, 2012

Bridesmaids


The hideous frilly dress, made of awful fabric (in terms of both texture and color) that will find its way to the back of the closet, never to be worn again, can now be left to the past and Hollywood movies.



Dresses of matching styles and colors are not going away any time soon, but the modern bride is arguably more understanding of differing body shapes and style preferences. We are seeing mixed and matched wedding colors, different styles in the same color and fabric, and even less coordinated than that with dresses of different colors and styles - and we like it!


Taking into account the bridesmaids' tastes and budget - as well as the bride's overall vision for her big day - helps everyone to feel comfortable. Ultimately, the decision is up to the bride, but we like the occasional break from tradition and this is a creative way to have everyone looking and feeling their best!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Summer Reading List

And you thought your days of being told what to read were over after school? Well, the good news is that we are not going to force you and we will not quiz you if and when you’ve finished reading. We know that there are a lot of books and articles out there that tell you how to plan your wedding, how to decorate, what music to play, and what to wear. If you could read them all, you would be full of ideas and know everything there is to know... if only! But, you have things to do, places to be, and a wedding to plan!


We have found a few books that we think could be both fun and/or helpful for you as you create the wedding you want. Meg Keene’s A Practical Wedding will help you narrow down what means the most to you and tune out all of the voices generously offering advice to the contrary. (You can find a longer description of each book and a link to Keene’s blog below.) Taking a different approach and suggesting that the wedding is not all about you (ouch!) Jacobina Martin and Judith Martin explain how to keep the wedding simple and dignified in their book, Miss Manners’ Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding. Maybe, for you, the wedding celebration is all about the environment! Eco-friendly is definitely “in” right now and Wenona Napolitano’s, The Everything Green Wedding Book is a great guide to “going green.”


Not in the planning mood and tired of the etiquette advice? If you aren’t so sick of it all that anything wedding related will send you over the edge (or maybe if that is exactly where you are) you might want to try Laura Wolf’s novel, Diary of a Mad Bride. Or, take a break from the traditions driving you crazy and learn about the customs landing someone else in the same state you are, somewhere far, far away. Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons by George Monger offers information on the origin and evolution of wedding ceremonies as well as the commonalities and differences of marriage celebrations worldwide.


 A Practical Wedding: Creative Ideas for Planning a Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful Celebration
By: Meg Keene
Description (From Amazon.com)
An Insanity-Free Wedding: It Can Happen!
Getting engaged is exhilarating…until it sets in that a wedding costs three times what you thought, and takes five to ten times the effort it reasonably should. And then there are the expectations: from calligraphy invitations to satin chair-covers, all those things that Must Be Done or everyone will be Horribly Offended. Or will they?
A Practical Wedding helps you create the wedding you want—without going broke or crazy in the process. After all, what really matters on your wedding day, what you’ll remember ‘til you’re old and gray, is not so much how it looked as how it felt. In this refreshing guide, expert Meg Keene shares her secrets to planning a beautiful celebration that reflects your taste and your relationship. You’ll discover:
     ·         The real purpose of engagement (hint: it’s not just about the planning)
     ·         How to pinpoint what matters most to you and your partner
      ·         DIY-ing your wedding: brilliant or crazy?
      ·         Affording a wedding without having to cut your guest list
      ·         How to communicate decisions with your family
      ·         Why that color-coded spreadsheet is actually worth it
Wedding Zen can be yours. Meg walks you through everything from choosing a venue to writing vows, complete with stories and advice from women who have been in the trenches, the Team Practical brides. So here’s to the joyful wedding, the sensible wedding, the unbelievably fun wedding! A Practical Wedding is your complete guide to getting married with grace.


Miss Manners’ Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding
By: Jacobina Martin, Judith Martin
Description (From Amazon.com)
Bride and mother-of-the-bride rebel against today’s monster weddings and explain how weddings can be charming, affordable—and excruciatingly correct.
Today’s brides are bombarded with wedding advice that promises perfection but urges achieving it through selfishness (“It’s your wedding, and you can do whatever you like”), greed (choosing the presents that guests are directed to buy), and showing off (“This is your chance to show everyone what you’re about”). Couples wishing to resist such pressure see elopement or a slapdash wedding as the only alternatives to a gaudy blowout. But none of these choices appealed to a bride who happened to have been brought up by Miss Manners. Judith Martin and her newlywed daughter, Jacobina, explain how to have a dignified ceremony and delightful celebration without succumbing to the now-prevalent pattern of the vulgar, money-draining wedding that exhausts families and exploits friends. 6 illustrations




The Everything Green Wedding Book: Plan an elegant, affordable, earth-friendly wedding
By: Wenona Napolitano
Description (From Amazon.com)
Increasingly, brides and grooms are spending their wedding dollars on environmentally friendly products and services. From the dress to the dinner, there are more green options available today than ever before. This book will teach the happy couple just how easy and affordable it is to: choose a stunning environmentally friendly location; create beautiful invitations printed on recycled paper; find the perfect eco-fashion; enjoy a gourmet organic caterer; find the right romantic honeymoon retreat, and more! This fun, informative guide provides all the steps to a beautiful wedding - without leaving a footprint!


Diary of a Mad Bride
By: Laura Wolf

Description (From Amazon.com)
Once I was a sane, levelheaded professional woman. Then I said “yes.” Now I am the lunatic bride I always made fun of!

What is it about getting married that turns normal people into total freaks?

A savvy, riotously funny novel, Diary of a Mad Bride is for anyone who has ever been a bride, is about to become a bride, yearned to be a bride, or suffered the sheer indignity of appearing in public in the world’s ugliest bridesmaid dress....

My wedding was starting in less than twenty minutes, and I was stuck in a 7-Eleven parking lot with popcorn kernels wedged in my gums and vanilla ice cream melting on my dress. It was a disaster too large to comprehend. After an agonizing year spent planning my wedding, could it really end like this? The voices chronicling a year of wedding hysteria swirled in my head....

— My grandmother upon viewing my engagement ring:

“What do you mean he gave you an emerald! Diamonds are eternal, emeralds say, maybe five years.”

— My future father-in-law on the night of my engagement party:

“To a happy marriage and, if necessary, a painless divorce!”

— My best friend, Anita:

“Oh, screw congratulations. Of course I’m happy for you. Stephen’s a major piece of ass and he’s got a sense of humor. Just as long as you’re certain this is what you want.”

Would I survive this day after all....?


Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons
By: George Monger
Description (From Amazon.com)
Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons cordially invites you to explore the rites, rituals, and iconography of weddings from around the globe. In more than 200 alphabetically organized entries, an accomplished folklorist describes the key components and beliefs related to marriage across a representative selection of the world's cultures.
Tracing the evolution of wedding ceremonies from their beginnings to their contemporary forms, Marriage Customs of the World dispels many myths and uncovers a number of intriguing connections and variations across different peoples. Readers will learn that the church wedding was not practiced in Europe until the 16th century, that the white bridal dress is a 20th-century development, and that the canopy associated with Jewish weddings is also commonly used in Sri Lanka, Egypt, and Finland. Engaging, authoritative, and insightful, Marriage Customs of the World is the ideal reference for investigating both familiar and exotic practices and for exploring what is both specific and universal about the role of marriage in societies everywhere.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Raising the Expectations: The 21st Century Proposal

The guys are groaning and the girls are delicately wiping the tears from their eyes... The recent string of well planned, choreographed, and executed proposals has certainly raised the stakes for all engagement-seeking men whose girlfriends have internet access. (Even worse - with the national media attention that has been paid to these viral videos, she's probably caught wind of these romantic fellows even without the world wide web.) Since the damage has already been done, here are our favorites, all in one place!

"Isaac's Live Lip-Dub Proposal"


"Logan and Jenna's Central Park Marriage Proposal Flash Mob to Katy Perry's Firework"

"Purple Honey Engagement" Skip to 2:49 for the beginning of the proposal

"25 Awesome Wedding Proposals"

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Encore! Big Pig Gig

The Big Pig Gig returns to Cincinnati from May through September 2012! Approximately 100 beautifully decorated pigs will adorn the streets throughout the months surrounding the World Choir Games. In 2000, the origianal Big Pig Gig project, produced by ArtWorks, featured 425 pigs and raised nearly $170 million. This year's event, the Big Pig Gig: Do Re Wee is co-produced by ArtWorks and C-Change Class VI.

A select group of pigs were in place on Fountain Square for the Taste of Cincinnati over Memorial Day weekend.