cookinuppoliticswithsheila: December 2008

DIY: Water Balloon Luminaries

Water Balloon Luminaries (via Candletech)

What You’ll Need:
High Melt Paraffin Wax (IGI 1260)
Water Balloons
Double Boiler
Cookie Sheet

Instructions:
1. Fill a water balloon with tepid water.

2. Melt your wax. Optimum working temperature for this project is 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to maintain this temperature for your wax while working by keeping it on a double boiler.

3. Slowly dip your balloon into the wax to just below the water level in the balloon. Warning: Do not dip the balloon into the wax past the water level. This could cause the balloon to pop.

4. Hold the balloon in the wax for a few seconds, and then slowly lift it out of the wax. Dip the balloon a few more times, allowing some time between dips to let the wax cool.

5. While it is still quite warm, carefully set the balloon down onto a piece of paper or a cookie sheet, making sure it is level. This will create a flat bottom for the luminary.

6. Dip your balloon a few more times until it is the desired thickness. A good target thickness is 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch.

7. Set the balloon on the paper or cookie sheet again and let it cool.

8. When the wax is completely cooled, hold the balloon over a sink or bucket, facing away from you. Carefully pop the balloon with a skewer or knife and let the water drain out. Throw away the balloon shards.

9. To level the top of the luminary, heat a cookie sheet on the stove and place the luminary top-down onto the hot sheet and carefully melt the edges until it is level.

10. Place a tea light or votive candle inside the luminary and burn on a candle holder in a dark area.

Real Weddings: Jen & Jason

Photographer: Danny Weiss
Location: New York City The Tribeca Rooftop
Makeup: Lo & Co.
Hair: Stacy Pitt

More photos

Muse Board: Brown, Pink & White

Fuzzynk

Coupons: AC Moore

Please click picture to enlarge

Snap! and Chat with Joyce at Stoneblossom Florals

This is the first of our new snap! and chat series, where we get to know all of the fabulous people that we work with all year... florists, caterers, dj's, coordinators etc. etc.

We thought it would be fun to bring you a little "inside information" on some of the best in the biz! No surprise that we start our series with the lovely and talented Joyce Holland of Stoneblossom Florals.

We are long time admirers of Joyce, not only is she an amazing artist- but she is also kicks butt as a business owner. We have often considered WWJD (what would Joyce do?) when making decisions for our own business.

Let's go in and see what she's up to...

Here's the inside of Joyce's meeting space, which she recently renovated. It's very cozy and appealing. Did you know that before Joyce started her floral business she worked in Interior Design? She attributes this background to the way she approaches an event now... she designs "from the ground up," meaning she visualizes the event as a whole... linens, lighting, place settings etc... before she designs the flowers.

Fun fact about me (Mariah)... I went to school for journalism. Here I am as a hard hitting reporter!

Joyce's favorite part about her job? ... her clients! I asked her what inspires her most and she said... "The essence of the person in front of me! I try to really get to know that person, and understand what they like and don't like. On the production floor we take that inspiration and run with it!"

The most satisfying thing about her job? "I do love the initial consultation, because I love to get to know people... but my favorite moments are on the 'day of' when I deliver the bouquet or they see their venue decorated for the first time and I know they really love it. "

What are a florists favorite flowers you might wonder...

"The sweetest flowers are in the spring, I love Peonies, Renunculas, and Lilly of the Valley. I really love the sweet, petite flowers... and also the flowering branches.

My other favorite time of year is the fall. The flowers of that season are rustic and hardy. I love vines, berries and the muted colors in oranges and golds."

Recently, Joyce's amazing work is featured in a new hardcover coffee table book by Sylvia Weinstock called, Amazing Cakes. The photo on the right is from her highlighted event at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport.

Joyce's familiar brand... and lovely letterpress business card. See more of her fabulous work by clicking here: Stoneblossom

Stay tuned next week for another installment of Snap! and chat....

Joyce, thanks for your time and candid remarks! We look forward to seeing you this summer on the circuit!

Have a Happy Holiday!

More Deluxe Albums!

We just got a few more albums in today and wanted to share with you. These are our deluxe silk covered albums which come with a presentation box in the same fabric and an accent ribbon. They are really beautiful! So if you are looking for something special, this is the ticket...

All of our albums have 'flush mount' pages which means that the photos are all printed on one page and then that print (on real photo paper) is mounted flush to all the edges.

The flush mounted album should not be confused with a 'coffe table book'. A coffee table book is printed on different kinds of paper, but not actual photo paper. The pages are available in different kinds of thincknesses but most often are like a really thick card stock. There are always new albums coming out so this description probably has a lot of variables nowadays.

We have also had a lot of canvas prints coming in, it's so fun to open the boxes when these arrive.
I want to have every photo on canvas, they just look so cool! This one is for Leah and Matt, I loved that they picked a more artictic photo for their wall. It's very moody.

Wintery Weekend

Well, I don't know how all of you feel- but I am all set with winter & with snow. I'll take open windows and warm summer breezes any day, thank you very much. My kids on the other hand cannot get enough of it. They played outside all day, all weekend- in fact, I had to call them in well after dark on Saturday. They were "snow boarding" (standing on their sleds) in our neighbors yard, the only guy with a hill in the whole neighborhood... he was nice enough to turn on his outside lights though so the kids didn't crash into the trees.

Here's Vianne and Don - we went to a cool steep hill in Pawtucket where all the kids hang out to sled. Don grew up nearby, so he went here when he was little too.

They're off!

Jacques likes to wipe out and roll down the hill, that's his signature move.

I am not sure if they mean don't sled on this hill, or just don't sled into the pole (if that's the case, good thing they put this sign up because I definitely wouldn't have thought of that)- either way it's a funny photo.