T.G.I.Fabulous: Gearing up for Fall

It's almost that time of year again---back to school! No matter where you are in life, the rush to get ready for school and fall is exciting. Getting the kids ready for the first day of school or preparing for yourself for a new semester can be a month long ordeal. With a new school year, one thing is for certain, expect the unexpected. But one thing for sure to expect--football. Since I moved to Texas, I have realized that this state certainly has pride in their football teams! Every man, woman, and child has team spirit! Chances are, if you are a Texan, you will be attending at least one football game this season. Even if you're not interested in the actual game, you might as well look cute in the stands. We've surfed the internet for some game day outfits that will get you geared up for the game!

Who says you have to wear a gameday tee? These Longhorns dresses are fabulous! Dress them up with a cute pair of boots and jewelry. The crowd will be looking at you instead of the game!

We found this dress on LivyLu.com. Even if you aren't an Aggie fan, there are plenty of other schools represented on this sight with so many styles to choose from.

Houston, we have football! This Vinyard Vines tote is great to carry to Reliant Stadium, especially if you are bringing the whole family.

We couldn't leave him out. This Vinyard Vines tie is a great gift for the Texan's man in your life! GO TEXANS!

This football season is sure to be fabulous! We will post a great ladies tailgating blog the closer we get to football season. Who doesn't love a good tailgate?

We'd love to hear your comments on our blog. Please leave us one! Also, check out our website, visit our Facebook page, and visit at Happenings in Galveston! Don't forget about our followers contest. We're only 19 followers away from our give-away! We hope you have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Wedding Wednesday: Melinda and Todd

Hey, bloggers! I am back from Arkansas and excited to bring you some new blog posts! I hope you haven't missed me too much!

Destination weddings are my favorite. Combining a wedding and vacation is such a great idea for both the bride and groom and the wedding guests. Why not have the perfect scenery for your special day? Today, we are blogging about another destination wedding. Melinda and Todd were married in February 2009 in the tropical resort town of Del Ray Beach, Florida on the Atlantic Coast. Del Ray's beach was the perfect back drop for the beautiful ceremony. Melinda and Todd used white, raspberry, tangerine, and navy for their colors.

Hayley customized these elegant, yet playful save-the-date cards. She created a map of Del Ray with whimsical drawings and calligraphy.

Here is the beautiful bride, Melinda with her gorgeous, tropical bouquet


Here is the happy groom, Todd. We love the tropical boutonnieres!

The bridal party is looking fabulous in the bright Florida sun!

The wedding party looks so happy for the lucky couple! It's great to be in Florida!

Hayley also designed the invitations.

Custom monogrammed cards and napkins were used at the reception. A special logo was created for the couple. A friend of the couple suggested that their ring logo should be unique to Melinda and Todd. If you look closely, you can see that one ring is a golf tee, representing Todd, who is a golf course designer, and the other is a peach, representing Melinda, who is from Georgia. We love this idea!

Happily married, the couple leaves for their honeymoon!

It's a storybook ending in Florida!

Thank you so much for reading our blog! We are so excited to share not only our custom creations with you, but also our ideas and favorite things. We are having a contest with a fabulous prize once we reach 100 followers on blogger in which YOU can participate. All you have to do is FOLLOW us! We will reveal the prize when we reach 100 followers, so tell your friends! Also, don't forget to like us on Facebook, check out our website, and come see us at Happenings in Galveston! We would love to see you!

Wednesday Weekly Wedding: Betsy and Parker

Hey Blog World! Happy Wedding Wednesday! It's your "guest blogger" Hayley, as Paige is traveling back to see her Arkansas Friends for a long weekend! Today, I am so excited to get to showcase some of an amazing photographer's work -- seriously you will all want to rush over to her website and check it out...I have been admiring it for years, and am thrilled when clients have sent me images from Skylar to use for their Holiday Cards, etc! They are always so unique and interesting. She has also pioneered this awesome concept of "Fame Parties" in homes across the coutnry where she captures magical moments in mere minutes against a white sheet. I was so excited to see that she shot the Wedding of one of our clients this past April!

Betsy got married in beautiful Austin and is the sister of wonderful client of ours, whose wedding we worked on a few years ago. She wanted the ever popular and Traditional style we love to LOVE. This classic calligraphy setup on ivory card is how I began my business, and it will never go out. We get orders for this style year-round, for any size of event, and any locale! You do not need a color scheme, a theme, or a certain type of venue to make this work. This is the invitation everyone knows is a beautiful wedding before they've even opened the inner envelope.
Now, to Skylar's awesome photos! This first may be my favorite of the bunch. I am ga-ga for the deep blue saturated tones and the juxtaposition of styles; a Gorgeous Bride in a lacy gown, casual pose and boots. Perfection.

Skylar employs the same idea with the "Fame Parties" I was talking about at Weddings too, letting guests capture photo-booth style moments, with better picture quality!

Swoon.

What a cool boutenier! A peacock feather...so cool.

The girls....Mother of the Bride and Lexie, sister of the Bride, and a fabulous client! I can't wait for her little one to get here so we can have even more fun celebrating her life's event on paper!

Also a few from her Bridals....

Does this not look like she stuck a gorgeous bride in a Lilly Pulitzer fabric? So awesome.

And then of course this one melted my heart as a Dog lover...or at least a Kashmir lover!!! I wish I could go back in time and have had her at our Wedding, but she wasn't even born yet. Silly, I know...I just am totally jealous of this picture! Skylar, if you're reading....Come to Galveston and take one of me and Kashy! haha.

Thanks for reading! Hope you are enjoying glimpses into the events we get to work on...I have loved getting the pictures. That's the hardest part of being in the "events business" and not being at the events...I never get to see the finished products! Leave us a comment....We SQUEALED this morning to see Aspen Bay had commented on yesterday's post!!! Love it.

So....without further adieu....VISIT Skylar Reeves' WEBSITE .... You will NOT be dissappointed.

Love, Hayley

T.G.I.Fabulous (Tuesday Edition): Aspen Bay Candles

Since I will be on vaction starting Thursday, I am writing this T.G.I.Fabulous blog post today. When you walk in to Happenings, our store in Galveston, you will notice the amazing aroma. We owe it all to Aspen Bay Candles. We light our favorite fragrance, Volcano, every morning to make our customers feel welcome. Each candle comes in a distinct beautifully hand-blown, recycled glass jar in lucious deep colors and jewel-toned metallics.

We sell our signature fragrance, Volcano, from the Capri Blue collection, at Happenings. Volcano comes in a sapphire blue jar. The large jars are $25 and the chub cups are $18.

Although we do not sell the Pagoda candles at the store, Aspen Bay sells them on their website for $35. We love the metallic handblown glass.

We think the jars that these tantalizing candles are set in are just as beautiful as the fragrance. Even after your candles are burned out, we discovered a way to preserve the jars and use them as containers in your home.

1. Run hot water in your kitchen sink about 4 inches deep.

2. Place burned out candles top up in the water for several minutes, until soft.

3. Scoop out melted wax with a spoon and place in a plastic bag.

4. Use warm soapy water to remove excess wax and oxidation.

5. To remove lables, use Goo Gone. Goo Gone can be purchased at Target or Wal-Mart.

6. Don't forget to save the lid!

**DO NOT MICROWAVE CANDLES. The wick contains metal. We wouldn't want you to break your microwave!

We placed bathroom essentials like Q-tips and cotton balls in the old Aspen Bay Candle jars. You can place anything in them that you would like!

We hope you stop by Happenings to check out our Aspen Bay Candles and other goodies! Don't forget to add us on Facebook and visit our website. Have a wonderful week!

-Paige

T.G.I.Fabulous: 60 Summer Songs We Love!

There's no doubt about it, life would not be the same without our favorite songs. At every party, a great playlist is an absolute must. We have composed a list of summer songs perfect for your pool party, back yard BBQ, or just for your listening pleasure when you're driving to work in the summer heat.

1. "California Girls"-The Beach Boys
2. "Summer of 69"-Bryan Adams
3. "Boys of Summer"-Don Henley
4. "Jammin'"-Bob Marley
5. "On the Floor"-Jennifer Lopez
6. "Give Me Everything"-Pitbull
7. "Edge of Glory"-Lady Gaga
8. "By the Way"-Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"-Jack Johnson
10. "Your Love"-The Outfield
11. "Don't Stop Believin'"-Journey
12. "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"-Katy Perry
13. "Super Bass"-Niki Minaj
14. "The Lazy Song"-Bruno Marz
15. "Honey Bee"-Blake Shelton
16. "Son of a Sailor"-Jimmy Buffett
17. "Sounds So Good"-Ashton Sheppard
18. "Summertime"-Sublime
19. "Amber"-311
20. "Ventura Highway"-America
21. "High Tides/Low Tides"-Ben Harper and Jack Johnson
22. "Hard to Handle"-The Black Crowes
23. "No Rain"-Blind Melon
24. "What's My Age Again?"-Blink 182
25. "The Hook"-Blues Traveler
26. "Soak up the Sun"-Sheryl Crowe
27. "Sun Gonna Rise"-Citizen Cope
28. "Down on the Corner"-Creedence Clearwater Revival
29. "Satellite"-Dave Matthews Band
30. "All Right Now"-Free
31. "Here it From You"-Gin Blossoms
32. "Sugar Magnolia"-Grateful Dead
33. "Paradise City"-Guns N Roses
34. "Hold My Hand"- Hootie and the Blowfish
35. "Wish You Were Here"-Incubus
36. "Carolina on my Mind"-James Taylor
37. "Remedy"-Jason Mraz
38. "Fire"-Jimi Hendrix
39. "With a Little Help from My Friends"-Joe Cocker
40. "Jack and Diane"- John Cougar Mellencamp
41. "83"-John Mayer
42. "Touch the Sky"-Kanye West
43. "Summer Girls"-LFO
44. "D'yer M'ker"-Led Zeppelin
45. "Sweet Home Alabama"-Lynrd Skynrd
46. "Walking in Memphis"-Marc Cohn
47. "Electric Feel"-MGMT
48. "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker"-O.A.R (of a revolution)
49. "Rent"-Pepper
50. "Message in a Bottle"-The Police
51. "The Joker"-Steve Miller Band
52. "Mary Jane's Last Dance"-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
53. "Red Red Wine"-UB40
54. "Panama"-Van Halen
55. "Summer Lovin"- Olivia Newton John and John Travolta "Grease"
56. "School's Out"-Alice Cooper
57. "Summertime Blues"-Eddie Cochran
58. "Cruel Summer"-Bananarama
59. "Take it Easy"-The Eagles
60. "Wipe Out" -The Sufaris

Are you headed to iTunes yet? We hope you enjoy our playlist and download all of these songs for your summer parties. Leave a comment about your favorite summer song or add one to the list we forgot! Don't forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and come by and see us at Happenings in Galveston! Please suggest us to your blog friends. When we reach 100 followers, we will have a great give-away! We hope you have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Happy Hardcastles

It's a very special day here at HH Design House! It's July 14--Hayley and Jason's anniversary!!! They have been happily married four years today. Today, we'd like to take some time and remember their very special, beautiful wedding.

Hayley and Jason outside of the Tremont House in downtown Galveston where their wedding took place.

Hayley's family: Greg and Peggy, her parents; Kathryn and Hilary, her sisters; and Matt, her brother-in-law.



Jason's welcoming a new Hardcastle to the family: Keith and Dianne, Jason's parents, and Paige (me!)

The whole wedding party.

Hayley and Jason are standing under the platform on Mechanic Street in downtown Galveston used during the annual Mardi Gras celebration. This is my favorite picture!

What a great day! We've blogged about Hayley and Jason's wedding previously. The Hardcastle wedding was featured in The Knot wedding magazine. Hayley designed every detail from the bridesmaid's dresses to the invitations.

Feel free to leave a comment wishing Hayley and Jason a "Happy Anniversary". Don't forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and visit Happenings in Galveston. We'd love to see you!

-Paige

Wedding Wednesday: Houston, We Have a Party!

It's Wednesday and you know what that means--it's time to spotlight another wedding we have had the privilege to work on! This week we're featuring Nan and Zade Pollack of Nashville, Tennessee. They were married this past March in Houston, Texas. HH Design House created the beautiful invitations and programs used in the wedding.

The invitations were ecru cotton with a bevelled edge and slate grey thermography. The reception card was separate from the invitation, and the suit was completed with hand calligraphy -addressed envelopes by Hayley.

Simple and beautiful!


The bride wore classic silver heels with bows to add a sweet touch.

This belt was worn by the bride as an accessory to her bridal gown.

The bridesmaid's dresses were a corally-orange, a very popular color this year.

Here is Nan's embroidered wedding bag so she could keep up with all of her essentials for the wedding.

Adding the veil to complete the dress.

The programs were a 6x6 accordion fold with a custom monogrammed seal of the bride and groom's first initials.

Here are the programs and invitations together.

The beautiful bride, Nan.

Her bouquet mixed pink and white roses, with tropical flowers.

The exchanging of rings.

I do!

"N" for Nan and "Z" for Zade, these letters hung on the church door.

Here is the bride with her mother, Claire, one of our favorite customers!

Engagement photos were arranged around the bride's bouquet at the reception which took place at the Houston Racquet Club.

The bride made quick change after the ceremony into a short dress and dancing shoes!

The first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Pollack.

The cake had the married monogram.

Bridesmaid's bouquets were multicolored and perfect for spring!

Here is the Bride tossing the bouquet. Who's next? Maybe HH Design House can design your invitations?

The bride with her bridesmaids.

Foam fingers in Tennessee Orange were given to guests as a favor. Nan and Zade truly are #1!

We hope you enjoyed our Wedding Wednesday post! Don't forget to add HH Design House on Facebook, check out our website, and visit our store, Happenings, in Galveston. We'd love to see you! Leave us a comment and tell us what you think of our blog.

AND...If you're reading us, FOLLOW US! We are going to have a fabulous giveaway when we reach 100 followers -- tell your friends!

-Hayley, Paige, and Kashmir