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So sorry I haven’t had a chance to share more of our party preparations with you this week — my only excuse is that I’ve been too busy preparing to write! As a small consolation, here are a few of the things I’ve been inspired by – cinnamon sticks, red and white baker’s twine, glassine treat bags, burlap linen, tree trunk cake stands, and mini pennant flags. Stick around next week to see how it all came together, complete with photos and lots of recipes!

…bag. From J. Crew. For $298. Beautiful but sad, isn’t it? Pick one up in one of three colors here.

Joy Thigpen and Amy Osaba are two of the coolest, most genuine people I’ve had the chance to work with in the wedding industry. Being around them, you just get the sense that they know who they are and that they are totally okay with that. It was a pleasant surprise to see sneak peeks of each of their houses on Design Sponge this week; it was not surprising at all, though, that their respective living environments are as unabashedly unique as their personalities. I loved both of the sneak peeks and wanted to share them with y’all. Make sure you click through to see the full features!

See more of Joy’s house here on D*S.

And more of Amy’s house here.

If you’d like to see more of Joy’s work, click here (she’s a creative director + stylist). For more of Amy’s, click here (she’s a floral and event designer).

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Well, it’s not exactly a fall-inspired board, but I couldn’t resist the pull of vintage horse show ribbons (top left). This board’s palette of lettuce green, champagne, rose, pale rust, and goldenrod would be lovely for spring, don’t you think? I like the idea of dressing your maids in green and your maid of honor in a coordinating floral, as well. And the hand-painted sign posts and antique metal garden chairs are whimsical, care-free touches.

The Details
First row, left to right: vintage horse show ribbons via {this is glamorous}; hair bow photo by Jenna Carver via Weddingbee; mismatched chairs from Flickr

Second row: cake by K. Rose Cakes on Style Me Pretty; bridesmaid fashion from J. Crew; bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings

Third row: ring pillow by Llubav from Martha Stewart Weddings; floral specimens by Johnny Miller; ceremony programs by Wren Handmade on Once Wed; china from Martha Stewart Weddings

Fourth row: ballet flats from J. Crew; sign posts photo by One Love Photo via Once Wed; tulips photo by Karl Juengel; citrus fruit photo by Lara Ferroni