In February (2014) Andrew and I hosted a Valentine's Party for friends in our little Jersey City apartment. I truly believe one of the best loves that should be celebrated is the one among friends! I designed the invitations (which were snail mailed old timey!), crafted the decorations and made small snacks like drunken chocolate-covered cherries. Glasses overflowed with wine and we played games throughout the night. It turned out to be one of the best parties we've hosted!

For Christmas I personalized wood-handled pokers for my brother's family to use around their new fire pit (which he built!) ... perfect for roasting marshmallows. I used wood-buring tools to spell the names of his family on the handles, and I sewed a carrying case for them to easily carry the tools to the campfire. The pokers easily roll up inside the case and a leather tie keeps the roll tight for easy storage.

MATERIALS:  plain wood-handled skewers or pokers (bought these on Amazon)  //  wood burning tool and letters  //  plaid fabric  //  sewing machine  //  leather rope or tie

My beautiful sister-in-law Abbi entrusted me to make the flower crown for her big day. I concentrated the bulk of the flowers to one side of the arrangement, using only small greenery around the front near her face. This beauty has insanely amazing hair, the kind of enviable locks that would overshadow any wedding hair piece. I felt very grateful to have the special honors, and we were both really happy with how the flowers came together with her dress and hairstyle.

MATERIALS:  florist wire, flower tape, fresh flowers and greenery (Abbi chose peonies, white button daisies, yellow billy balls, alstroemeria, baby's breath, and yellow wildflowers) 

In October 2013 my brother Mark got married to his love, Abbi. It was easily one of the happiest days of my life. The celebration was held on Abbi's father's horse ranch in rural Georgia. The decorations were gorgeous ... and a real labor of love. Abbi and Mark had an incredible vision for their special day, and with the help of the family and their friends, managed to DIY their ideas into an unbelievably enchanted evening. Of course I'm partial, but I think it was one of the most beautiful and original events I've ever attended!

In September 2013 my beautiful mother turned 60! Together with my brothers and my dad, we hosted a super surprise party for her. It was my first time making tissue tassels, and while they are time consuming to make, they are a really festive way to decorate a large space.

MATERIALS:  various tissue paper, X-Acto, braided rope, and tons of spare time!

My aunt sent me some amazing vintage drawer pulls from Seattle as a gift a few years ago and I have been holding on to them for the right project. With a need for more storage space in the home studio, I purchased a simple wood dresser from Ikea and customized it to complement the knobs. A few weekends dedicated to applying coats of paint and lacquer (and a chop to the extra long legs!), and I had a great new storage unit in the room.

MATERIALS:  Ikea Tarva dresser, vintage knobs, teal Behr paint, clear polyurethane, and wood stain