I promise, I’m her most difficult customer. Seriously, I don’t think anyone is more picky and obsessive compulsive when it comes to my invites than me. Would you agree Jenna?? So, she would happily take orders from other people.

Visit our shop today. All the old favorite are there…as well some of the newbies below.

French Bulldog Shower Invite

Ski Lift Ticket Rehearsal Invitation

Sparkle Engagement Invite

will you be my bridesmaid? 

beer and diapers shower invite

nursing party invitation and rx labels

bug invitation for all those summer birthdays coming up

baseball shower invitation and party set
{this is so cute, I can hardly stand it…love your taste Lori. btw, photos of this shower are coming your way soon}
 

Lemonade Invite
{perfect for this summer parties and showers}

carrie bradshaw quotes, 8×10 prints
{gotta love Sex and the City}

{images via Fleur de Lis}

This Colorado bride took her creativity and inspiration to an entirely new level. She had an extravagant paper chuppah, colorful paper bouquets and white linen paper centerpieces. Everywhere you turned, there was paper. And it was absolutely STUNNING.

With the help of Amy Toltz-Miller and, of course, Pinterest, the beautiful bride planned a uniquely remarkable wedding. We’ve never seen anything quite like it…. and we are loving it!

VENDOR LOVE

Photography: Eric Stephenson Photography
Dress: Felice Bridal
Event Planner: Amy Toltz-Miller Special Events
Venue: History Colorado Center
Decor/Floral: Newberry Brothers Greenhouse & Florist
Cake: Cakes by Dana Pierce
Lighting: LMD Productions

{images via Eric Stephenson Photography}

So, my husband is into the Paleo-diet these days. We’ve just ‘dipped’ our toes ever so slightly into the new craze, but I believe in the premise and research behind it, and know that whole and healthy food is the key to optimal health and defeating chronic disease. The Paleo-diet has been described as the cave-man diet because the diet consists of meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. I’m all for it…I have a hard time with all the meat {I tend to lean more to the vegetarian-side}, but sign me up for the veggies, fruits, seafood and nuts. If you haven’t heard about the whole Paleo-diet craze, read more about it here.

I visited PaleOMG – it’s a great site and a wonderful resource…plus Juli is a fellow Colorado gal and you gotta love that!! This recipe caught my eye. I made a few changes because I didn’t have some ingredients/changed to my liking…and it was DELISH. The whole family loved it, and wanted round 2. It’s been added to my recipe book. I hope you give it a try. Buon Appetito.

Spinach Turkey Burgers
recipe adapted from PaleOMG
*makes about 5-6 patties

Ingredients
1 pound ground organic turkey
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
avocado, sliced

Garnish/Salad Ingredients
spinach
arugula
baby kale
carrots {any vegetables of your liking}
olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette dressing {I made my own dressing with olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper and pressed garlic}

How To
1.  Add all the ingredients for your burgers in a medium size bowl and use your hands to mix well
2. Form balls with your hands
3. Place a non-stick large skillet OR warm a griddle {and add olive oil to prevent sticking patties} on medium heat. Once hot, place the balls onto the skillet/griddle, then press down with a spatula to flatten out
4. Cook on both sides for at least 8-10 minutes until turkey cooked through
5. Once done, add to the top of your salad, top off with avocados and devour!
NOTE: for the kiddos, I made the burgers traditional-style, topped with cheese in between buns…and they {most impressively, my incredibly picky son who turns his nose to everything green} LOVED them.

If you have any other delicious Paleo-diet recipe you want to share, please send them to trejsorelle@gmail.com. We’d love to try more recipes.

{images via Tutto Bella}

FOR THE GARDENER

Half Oak Barrel Planter {Home Depot}
this would make for a lovely gift filled with all mom’s favorite flowers
Succulent Wreath {VivaTerra}
Vintage Garden Spoons {Wooden Hive}

FOR THE HIP MOM

Anne Taintor, Mom Story Time Tumbler {Tervis Tumbler}
this company creates high-quality products…and you can customize
Custom Tiles {ImageSnap}
create beautiful tiles of all sizes with your favorite images. create magnets, coasters, wall decor for mom – she will love it
Yosi Samra Two-Tone Fold-Over Ballet Flats {Yosi Samra}
thanks to my friend Shannon {she keeps me so hip}, I am in love with my new flats and wear them all the time
White Poppy Vase {Anthropologie}

FOR ALL MOMS 

Simple Abundance {Amazon}
this would make a wonderful gift for anyone – an essay a day about spirituality, joy and gratitude
Duckie Rain Flats {Anthropologie}
um, yes please!
Salsabol {Fleur de Lis }
never spill salsa again with this sleek bowl
Smith & Hawken Round Basket with Chalkboard {Target}
fill this basket with her favorite things

{images via Image Snap, VivaTerra, Home Depot, Wooden Hive, Anthropologie, Tervis Tumbler, Fleur de Lis, Target and Amazon}

So, to show the teachers that show up everyday in the classroom for you {or your kids}, we have a fun gift idea for them with a FREE PRINTABLE, designed by Jenna at Fleur de Lis, a paperie {also sells custom designs on etsy here}. Gotta love that.

thanks for being a wonderful TEAcher
{get it? For those of you who may be scratching your heads…it’s a mug with tea in it because the word TEA is in TEAcher}

How To:
Buy a mug that most represents your child/a particular memory throughout the year {my son chose a giraffe mug from Pier1 because his favorite animal is a giraffe and his teachers most definitely know that}.

PRINT OUR FREE PRINTABLE HERE
Use twine {or any string you have} and hang the string from the inside of the mug with tape, with the tag on the outside of the mug.

Sign your child’s name and year on the bottom of the mug with a Sharpie
Fill the mug with tea bags.

It’s sure to make the teacher recipient smile…and it will serve as a reminder of your special child.

Even if you miss Teacher Appreciation Day on May 7, this makes a great end of the year gift or christmas gift for your child’s teacher too!

Hope you like this enough to PIN IT. And, if you don’t already follow us on Pinterest or Fleur de Lis on Facebook, please do so. You’re sure to learn about more free printables, and be in the ’fabulous-know.’

{images via Tutto Bella}

As a designer and artist (I painted with water colors for years before I created homes) you tend to have a keen eye for color. But, even for the most talented, picking paint colors can be tricky and usually a 2 or 3 step process.

I once read that you’ll know if you like a color in the first 3 seconds you see it. I think that’s interesting and only about 90% true, because many times things can grow on you.  Like gold…. I think most of us can say 5-7 years ago we wouldn’t have worn gold jewelry or thought of using brass in our interiors, but it’s one of the most popular colors and finishes lately.

The most asked question as a designer is what paint color to use even when I’ve never seen their space.  If they’re not needing a specific color, this can be easy….telling them navy, warm grey, or cream.  When they’re wanting something specific, that’s where it gets tricky because the tone of a color changes in every room. For instance, many designers believe Ben. Moore’s Stonington Gray to be the best gray out there…..but look at the difference between these two rooms.  The room on the left looks like a warm gray and the room on the right looks like a cool gray.  (P.S.- I have still never used this color myself)

Wise words from Barbara Barry, ‘You should always paint a room ten shades lighter than you think, because the color changes throughout the day and darkens in the corners.”    The easiest rule of thumb I use (if your’e using Benjamin Moore for example)…. if you like Gray Owl (2137-60) it’s best to actually paint with White Wisp (2137-70).  When White Wisp is applied to all four walls of a space, it will actually become Gray Owl (For reference, Gray Owl is one shade darker than White Wisp).

Source: Barbara Barry

I tend to always use the ‘OC’ numbered paint colors with Benjamin Moore.  If you were to open a paint can with almost any of these colors, they would first appear white, and then once you’re applying the color, you would still think it’s just white.  But when the room is complete and your white trim is up, the color starts to bounce around the space and transform into a hint of color that soothes the senses.

Here are a few of my favorite neutral Benjamin Moore colors that you can try in your next project. I AWALYS suggest getting samples from Guiry’s and tesing a few in different spots around the room, because again, as the light moves around the space, the color will change.

I hope you enjoyed this bit of information!  If you’d like to read more from me, please check out my blog http://www.designarounddenver.com/ or follow me on Pinterest.  I hope to hear from you soon!

ABOUT KELLY
I grew up in Kansas City, KS and moved to Denver after getting a degree in Interior Design from Colorado State University.  I’ve been surrounded by creative people my entire life….my father is a developer, but an architect in another life, and my mother and grandmother are beyond artistic.  At the age of 7 I started sewing classes and water color clasess, so I feel like I’ve always been destined to work in this field.  I’ve worked with commercial interior design firms and high end residential firms, loving both for different reasons.  I love the construction side of projects, but I would never want to be an architect because I have too much passion for colors, fabrics, and textures.  After the birth of my daughter Sloane, almost 2 now, I left an amazing design firm to start my own company, KC Studio.  It’s been nothing but pure joy, so I obviously was truly meant to be a designer.

{images via Benjamin Moore}

This wedding is near and dear to my heart because Jay and Shannon and good family friends of ours, and Jameson {my son} was a ring bearer. Jay, the groom, has been my hubby’s bestie since they were 3! I first met Jay in high school, spent time with him on weekends when I visited my husband at college, and he stood by Tommy as his best man at our wedding {best best man speech, btw}. I love Jay. When I first met Shannon, I knew I wanted Jay to marry her…and I wanted to be her friend. Such a kind, fun, genuine, sincere and outgoing woman. I’m happy they found each other.

From the gorgeous bride, Shannon…I am not one of those girls who has known forever what their wedding day would be like, but it turned out to be exactly what I wanted. The only thing I knew going into the planning process was that I was wearing boots {cowgirl of course} and I wanted a winter wedding! We kept the theme very simple, wintery, and elegant, and tried to include as many “Colorado” touches as we could.

Jay and I both wore boots to the wedding and the reception. I am a huge boot fan, so my custom Liberty and Co. boots with my new initials will be a forever-loved item in my closet and a special reminder of our wedding day. I picked an all lace dress by Alvina Valenta because it was wintery and romantic, and also had somewhat of a country/rustic look to me. My fur shoulder wrap was a life-saver, as my wish for a “white wedding” did come true and it started snowing about an hour before the ceremony and didn’t stop until Sunday! My girls wore full-length Amsale dresses in chocolate brown with boots. They looked so gorgeous. And the boys equally as handsome in tuxes and for some, boots as well.

For the flowers we chose white flowers with natural accents of pods, twigs, and greenery, and of course lots of candlelight to give the room a warm glow. My favorite part about the flowers were the pheasant feathers that we included in my bouquet, the boutonnieres and the centerpieces. My dad and Jay are big bird hunters, so their contribution to the flowers was finding me some beautiful feathers to have our florist incorporate. A nice way to make the men feel involved.

We used all local vendors to support the Vail area, and they were all fantastic! My caterer is a rock star. Our menu reflected our Colorado roots and love for great cuisine. We served a split plate of Colorado trout and beef tenderloin with fresh veggies and risotto.

Nothing beats Willie Nelson for a first dance, someone who we really felt was a perfect artist to represent both of our styles of music. Jay loves to play this game where he asks the five musicians you would see live and Willie was one of mine, so years ago he surprised me with tickets. We took weeks of dance lessons to master our first dance as a married couple and the funniest thing in the world to me is that Jay drew our dance out on a post it note about a week before the wedding so he wouldn’t forget it. So darling.

For the favors we wanted to do something that wasn’t just chocolates or midnight snacks. I love to cook and so I visited my favorite spice shop in Denver, Savory, and had them put together spice packets that were the perfect mix to include in Jay’s favorite burger recipe. We included the recipe for “Juicy Jay Burgers” with the spice packets as a thank you to guests for being a special “ingredient” in our day.

The best part of our wedding was that we were surrounded by our incredible friends and family. It’s amazing to me to look at the friends we have made along the way, the friends we have had since we were two, and the family that has supported us the whole time, and know that they were there for each moment and by our sides for our wedding. Our friends and family are simply the best, and we are so incredibly blessed to have such love and support.

VENDOR LOVE
Photographer: M Todd Thiele Photography
MakeUp: Glo makeup, Laura Anzalone
Catering: Foods of Vail, Tracey Van Curan
Wedding Coordinator/Tuxes: Mountains and Meadows, JoAnn Moore
Ceremony Site: The Chapel at Vail
Reception: Donovan Pavilion
Ceremony Music: Pat Hamilton Music
DJ: A Great Time DJ
Reception Decor and Lighting: Pink Monkey Solutions
Flowers: Rose Petals
Hair: Inga Cox Hair, 970.471.9820
Transportation: Turtle Bus
Liquor: West Vail Liquor
Bridal Gown: anna bé, dress designer is Alvina Valenta
Bridesmaids Gowns: Amsale, worn with own boots
Bridal Boots: custom-made by Liberty Boot Co., from Cry Baby Ranch in Denver
Escort door: courtesy Tutto Bella gals!

In honor of Earth Day today, we are sharing a few upcycle DIY projects that make re-using old things in a new way just, well…fabulous. And the best part…the only energy it takes is from you. If you’ve done any cool upcycling yourself lately, please send us photos…

Upcycled Ladder with Shelves, Less Than Perfect Life with Bliss

Plastic Spoon Mirror, Little Things Bring Smiles

Frame Corner Ceiling, Michael Stravato for the New York Times

Suitcase Side Table, Cupcake and Cashmere

Ski Lift Swing, Colorado Weddings Magazine
I don’t like to ski, but I could so do this

Hanging Rainboots Planters, Rosy Posy

 Upcycled Can Vase, Apartment Therapy

Leather and Wood Shelf, Design Sponge

Record Side Table, The Flourishing Abode

{images via Less Than Perfect Life with Bliss, Little Things Bring Smiles, The New York Times, Cupcakes and Cashmere, Colorado Weddings Magazine, Rosy Posy, Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, The Flourishing Abode}

 Uncooked greeting cards are just that. And, they are absolutely hilarious. Seriously, if you’re ever having a bad day and need a good laugh, visit their website and read their cards… I guarantee your spirits will be boosted.

If you’re interested in purchasing any, because we all know somebody who would get a kick out of them, go to Fleur de Lis!
{I make sure we are fully stocked with them at all times!}

Here are a few of my favs… hope you get a good laugh!
{if not, don’t judge me on my humor }

{images via Uncooked}

When the kids went down for a nap, while I was cleaning up, an idea popped into my head. And when an idea pops into a DIY-addicts head, there’s bound to be another project…and a mess. The result, melted poppy crayon art.

Melted Poppies

Ingredients:

Wax paper
green crayon
red and yellow crayon shreds
modge podge
griddle
battery powered candles
glass vases/hurricanes

 How to:

Shred the crayons you want to use for the flower color. I used 1 yellow crayon and 2 red crayons. I didn’t find a cheese grater to be effective, so I used a pencil sharpener, and it worked great.

Cut the wax paper to the size of the vases {wrap the wax paper around the vase and leave just an inch or two extra space to overlap – this will be the area where you add the modge podge}.

Turn the griddle on low.

NOTE: You must work with quick hands for the next step.

Have the green crayon {to use for the stems and grass} and the crayon shreds ready and accessible because you will need to work quickly.

Place the wax paper on the griddle and immediately draw the grass and the stems freehand.

Quickly, place the center of the flower on each stem with yellow shreds, then immediately grab the red crayon shreds and add around the center of the flower. Don’t pile on the shreds too thick – a small amount is enough.

Once all the shreds are melted, which will take about 5 seconds or so, gently slide the wax paper off the griddle {don’t pull the paper up, or the flower will melt into each other}

Immediately place tightly around the vase {if you wait too long, the crayons will harden and then will crack/break when you curve the paper around the vase}.

Add modge podge to the end of one side of the wax paper and seal.

 

Happy Spring!

{images via Tutto Bella}