flower or flour?

Can you believe it... I couldn't. When I first saw this picture form a wholesale flower company I thought they just enhanced photos of boring, colorless crops, BUT NO! It's real. And stunningly beautiful. And makes me want to fly to Holland right away to see such natural wonder with my own two eyes.

Side Note: Don't forget we offer floral design for weddings and events. No minimum order required as we work closely together to perfect your dream arrangements. Just gorgeous arrangements with the exceptional Sweet Sunday Events style. Come talk pretty flowers with us today!

up, up and away

Necklaces. Kio fish. Silhouettes. Cardigans. Owls. Are just a few things (definitely not all the things) I was obsessed with over the years. Last year I was fanatical about birds. I’m not sure why because I don’t really like real birds. I blame it on my head on collision with a buzzard as I was driving 70 mph on my way home one day, seven years ago. It’s safe to say that experience scared me and to this day I steer clear of all flying mammals. This year, or for now at least, it’s hot air balloons. And if I were getting married, somehow, in some way, I would incorporate the hot air balloon motif. You can't deny how enjoyable and charming they are...

blink and the weekend comes to an end

I hope you all had a pleasant weekend! If it was anything like mine you spent the short days venturing out to new restaurants, watching 27 Dresses just to see your all-time favorite scene, visiting with family, catching up on some much needed house cleaning and sadly watching Baylor loose to Duke. Ugh, Baylor! I was rooting for you; we were all rooting for the last remaining Texas team in the madness of March basketball. Well, maybe not my hubby. He has always had a special place in his heart for Duke and can’t get past Baylor’s defeat of UT this season (x3).

We have a busy week ahead of us here at Sweet Sunday Event Rentals. Meeting new clients, spring cleaning, checking and receiving inventory, planning of our grand opening in a few weeks and so much more! Stay tuned for updates!

Shameless Brag Alert: Our yard has been horribly neglected for the past month and the rain has only made it worse as the grass has grown like crazy, so please don’t judge too harshly as I share this picture and show off my wonderfully artistic husband’s mowing skills…

happy weekend!

May your shadows dance and enjoy the gorgeous weather the weekend has in store!
photo: Abby Sharp

oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day...

Can we please all rally together to bring back stylish-classy-elegant- fancy-dancy hair adornments?! I can’t tell you how many times I watched Oklahoma! while growing up. Clearly, there was a lack of video choices at my grandmother’s cable free house. To this day I remember wishing I lived in the days of corsets under pretty, fluffy cotton dresses and hats decked out with feathers, sequins and flowers. Oh what I would have given to be Shirley Jones’s character for just five minutes as she rode in surrey with the fringe on top.

Uber talented designer, Myra Callan, creates uniquely custom bridal hats that I can only dream of pulling off. Her creations range in price from $180-$325 on average and may take up to 4 weeks to complete. Perfect for not only weddings, but engagement photo sessions, special occasions or a fabulous themed bachelorette party!

book for brides

Boy, those retail folk really know what they are doing by precisely positioning those appealing little “add on” items next to the register. I stopped by Pottery Barn yesterday to pick up a few new rental items [which- by the way- are fantastic and will work wonderfully for any event] and as I was checking out I noticed this cute vintage bridal pocket book and like a magnet my hand attracted it. The book reveals secret meanings behind every wedding detail – from flowers and color combinations to where the newlyweds go on their honeymoon. Beautifully detailed with whimsical illustrations, gilded edges and a ribbon page marker. It is absolutely THE perfect gift for the newly engaged or the planning bride to be.

home turned wedding decor

Are you lost, confused or frustrated… with choosing color combinations for your big day? Well then stop it!!! Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think wedding magazines are good for anything. Most magazines are full of advertisements for the same three wedding dresses you find everywhere rather than creative ideas from real weddings or cute color choices. So this is what I suggest… start looking through home décor magazines. Seriously. Flip through a decorating magazine and pick out your favorite room. Dog-ear the page and bring it in to me. We will use this inspiration room as the starting point to help create your idyllic wedding.

Quick example, I found this picture in Country Living and fell in love with the ruffles, the pastel colors in the plates and garden chairs. Ideas flooded my head for the perfect vintage-garden inspired wedding.

It's your turn now! Visit a few of my favorite deor resources: House Beautiful, Country Living, OR online sources: DesignSponge (my absolute fav!), decor8.

Antique vs Thrift

Let’s get one thing straight. There is a huge difference between antique shops and thrift stores. I used to think it was one in the same, but au contraire. The biggest difference being, I will not step foot into a thrift store while I can spend all day in an antique shop! About a mile down the road from my house sits an antique mall, yes, a MALL. Five thousand square feet of oldie-but-goody bits and pieces. As I write this, I am tempted to see what new old items they may have received since my visit last week. But I won’t. Mostly because there is a lady that works there who looks like my high school Spanish teacher. We usually look at each other with wondering eyes saying “I know you… but how do I know you?”. At least that is what I hope she is thinking not, “I know that girl, she used to talk all the time in my that class I could never control. Once I had to call her mom in hopes of curbing this issue”. After that phone call I’m sure I got in trouble as I denied all charges. But as far as my talking in class, that probably never subsided. Anyway, my favorite thing about this antique shop is the abundance of plates. I love china. By the time I’m forty I will be the proudest owner of mixed matched plates ever. As my cabinets overflow and my husband threatens to call the producers of the television show Hoarders if I don’t get rid of my obsession, I will still be proud.

In continuation of Friday’s post where I left you hanging all weekend to see what I could have possibly done with three candlestick holders, three plates and crazy glue. Well, I’m sure it didn’t take you too long to figure out what I was going to do with this combination. I painted a little bit of glue on top of the candlestick holder, flipped the plate face down on the table, attached the freshly glued holder to the middle of the plate and let it stand for one minute… and tada, a plate stand!

tis the weekend!

Three candle stick holders. Three plates. And crazy glue. Oh what will I do?! Visit us again on Monday to see our newest crafty-N-cool creation!

Happy weekend, y’all!

10 [more] days of saving

Hey, you... Yes, you! Have you booked your wedding rental needs yet? If you attended Georgetown’s Bridal Showcase last month be sure to utilize our offer of 15% off tables and chairs. Remember we are always excited to help in the design of your special day. We will help you put together a rental list of everything you need to carry out your vision. All you have to do is call us with a day and time you'd like a consultation and then submit our “getting to know you” questionnaire. The day of your consultation we will share ideas, set up a table with your linen choice, plates, chairs and all the other goodies you desire. We strive to create innovative designs that will make your guests swoon and give you the day you have always dreamed of.

Call us today. We can’t wait to work with you!

mother nature offers fabulous inspiration

Today’s blog will probably remind you of Science class, but only waaay cooler and much more interesting. Don’t fret. Science can be fun. Just read on.

Experiment: Walk outside. Look around. Choose three colors. And without fail (as long as you find it in nature), your color selections will look great together. If you still don’t trust yourself, walk back inside. Grab a fruit. Any fruit or vegetable. A potato, pomegranate, grapefruit, whatever you may have. Now take a bite or peal it or cut it open. The shades from the outside to inside work together to create great color palette.

Okay. Still don’t really get it? Let me prove it to you. I grabbed an apple, cut it in half and this is what I saw. Red from the skin. Cream middle. A little bit of green near the center. A mustard yellowish bruise. And brown seeds. I took these five colors and created a Mother Nature inspiration board. See, it really can be that easy!

dresses Melissa Sweet, cake and wine photo via the knot, ring bearer pillow etsy

trailer love

I want two, would be content with one, or happy to just rent one for a long weekend away. Is that too much to ask?! While blog-stalking one of my favorite home décor blogs I came across these vintage VW campers and caravans. Giddiness consumed my body and I just had to share. I must say, they are absolutely the most adorable things I’ve ever seen. But here comes the disappointment… these charming campers live a blissful life in the UK. I guess it’s time to convince my husband to purchase a camper, renovate it with pretty textiles, take a loooooong road trip to the west coast (psh, I must be dreaming!) and then rent it out for parties and weddings as part of our specialty rental collection. What do you think?!

Not the fort your Dad built

And so it was... another enjoyable weekend with the ideal Texas weather! This weekend destination: South, plan: 8 hour Austin adventure, result: perfectly happy slacker Sunday. I don’t care how many times you have been to South Congress, there is always something new to do and see—one food trailer has now turned into six very different trailers offering a variety of foods—drinks at the iconic San Jose Hotel (may I recommend sangria with fresh fruit?!)—vendorsVENDORSvendors... my gawd, vendors everywhere—Alamo Drafthouse rolling road show—live music on stage or on the street (I mean, where else will you see a hulahooping guitarist who simultaneously plays the harmonica?!)—and the people (all of whom are way cooler than I could ever think of being) wearing TOMS and tank tops rightly draped to reveal a tattooed back with dog in tow. Come on, really, why go anywhere else?

We ventured a little bit more South to experience the place my friend and I agreed to never visit without the other. So this being the first time in months that the weather was working in our favor and we were could get away for the day, we went for it. We rounded the corner of a “well used” neighborhood and there it stood, glistening in the sun and towering over the roofs surrounding it. Three stories of mangled metal and recognizable junk, it was none other than the Cathedral of Junk. The sharp edges which scream LAWSUIT and unleveled steps up to the tower doesn’t seem to follow any rules or regulations, but it is structurally sound as verified by City of Austin engineers—from what I understand, the city keeps a close eye on the junk additions at this weirdly Austin attraction.

And for the BIG news: it’s now a wedding venue! I know it doesn't suit everyone's style, but for the brave few it could be the most memorable wedding for those who attend. It just takes a little bit of imagination and the yard could be transformed into the coolest, hippest setting for the right bride and groom to be married.

Please trust me when I say that these photos do not give the Cathedral of Junk justice. You must check it out for yourself to appreciate the nutty work that went into this piece of art. Located at 4422 Lareina Dr, Austin, TX 78798. Go!

T.G.I.F!

I know you must be dying to see how the construction is going at the shop, so without further delay...

Floor painted! Door installed! New ceiling tiles! Wallpaper up! Even more progress to come next week as the exterior of the building is painted, awnings are installed, and our pretty, new furniture finds a home!

Let’s go back in time for those of you that don’t quite remember what it once looked like...

Have a wonderful weekend! See you Monday.

Sweet Finds

So what element of a wedding is the most talked about, enjoyed by all and shares just as many glances and swoons as the bride? Hint: It’s light and fluffy and full of sugar.

Yep, the wedding cake! Check out the new cake designs a la Martha Stewart. I went absolutely gaga over the vintage appliqués reminiscent of haute couture. Choosing my favorite was nearly impossible so I narrowed it down to two… enjoy and try not to drool too much!

Purple Passion

Lavender...Grape...Eggplant...and every shade in between. The color purple and I have a long history. Or should I say puh-pule, as my dad laughingly reminds me (ALL.of.the.time). Hey, now that I think about it, the fact that I couldn’t pronounce my favorite color correctly as a child isn’t funny at all! I spent several elementary years in speech therapy correcting my inability to say words with the letter R in it. BeaR, Rabbit, oh and the word RaRe... so traumatizing. I still avoid using that word. Okay, moving on. Focus.

Once I was in college I decided that I wanted a solid purple bedspread with matching lavender paisley sheets, purple curtains and small purple accessories, like picture frames. A year and a half after living with purple rays burning, attacking my corneas, I soon began to hate. detest. loath purple.

Slowly, purple is creeping back into my life and repositioning itself amongst my top favorite colors. Nonetheless, my history isn’t stopping brides from effectively using shades of purple throughout their weddings. Sweet Sunday Event Rentals has had a handful of brides stop in to look for linens of the perfect purple tone to anchor their wedding palette. Those customers inspired me to create this inspiration board. Soon my vision will turn into reality as one of our show tables will be fashioned after the purple inspiration board.

Lasting memories, documented

Go ahead, just ask... Ask me if there was anything I would have changed at my wedding. Well since you asked, let me answer... No, I would not have changed anything. In fact, I had a pretty perfect wedding so it's hard for me to admit this... but I would have added a few elements. The first element, a videographer. And after seeing the videos below you will understand why. Videos of well prepared proposals, creative save the dates and wedding day bliss are popping up all over the web. Grab a snack and take a time out from your busy day to watch a few of my favorites.

WARNING: possible side effects include chills, warm heart, smiles and wetting of the eyes.

Keira & Dan's wedding highlights from Hello Super 8 on Vimeo.

Sarah & Rupert Wedding 16mm Film from sarahandrupert on Vimeo.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

It’s safe to say the hubs and I have had a lack of life outside our bubble that is Sweet Sunday Event Rentals lately. So, this past Saturday we finally decided to gain some of our freedom back and, just for a day, return to the life we love while forgetting the list of to dos and what are we doing tomorrows. Our Saturday was spent together, immersed in Austin, art, beer, great food and movies… all things we can’t get enough of!

East Austin has quickly become my favorite place to spend my time. The chill bars of Rio Rita and The Liberty Bar to the restaurants of Vivo and Eastside Café, it’s all wonderfully unspoiled by the herd of orange skinned collegians, groups of 5+ guys without girls, and jägerbombs that so many refer to as 6th Street. Ugh, okay, okay, I’ll admit it! I shouldn’t judge too harshly, I once was that tanned collegian taking shots of jäger on 6th patrolling for that group of guys. BUT I’ve moved on, I’m now happily married and just interested in a fun night where I can sit and enjoy a few drinks with friends over a conversation I can actually hear-- thus my obsession with East Austin.

Austin is full of inspiration, but Saturday’s event was beyond my expectations. I often see artwork or crafty things and think to myself, “I could totally do that”, but I know I could never top what these amazing artists at Balcones Recycling displayed. The Balcones Burner Bash is a competition to celebrate Austin's urban artists. Twelve hand selected artists competed for cash prizes as they paint one side of the Balcones railcars. The work was amazing and so inspiring. Take a look at some of their work and GO GREEN!

Bridal Showcase 2010

*Insert golf clap here* A huge round of applause to Georgetown Chamber of Commerce from Sweet Sunday Event Rentals! This past Saturday, Georgetown held its first annual Bridal Showcase. And quite a wonderful one, I might add. Over 50 vendor s took part in the event, ranging from yummy cakes to tantalizing tanning to amazing catering from places like Georgetown’s very own (and my new favorite) Amante’s Italian Restaurant. In addition to mingling with the best of Gtown’s wedding industry, I met with a handful of up and coming photographers and planners that I can’t wait to work with in the near feature.

No worries, brides, I haven’t forgotten about y’all! How fantastic are y’all?! Pretty darn fantastic, I must say. I am so excited to say that since Saturday I have received numerous emails about helping in designing your weddings for this summer. Keep in mind that we are still renovating our shop, so be sure to schedule a meeting with me beginning (or after) March 15. I’m full of ideas and look forward to seeing them in fruition. I will also keep y’all posted on our Grand Opening as we nail down a date.

I might be a little bit biases, but the booth for Sweet Sunday Event Rentals blew everyone else’s out of the water. Just take a look for yourself!