Decorative Packaging

Wedding season is nearly upon us. Across America and beyond there are thousands of brides-to-be who are speeding madly from caterer to photographer from reception hall to dress shop and then plodding home and collapsing into pitiful puddles like pouting princesses. OK, that may have been one too many P words.

My question is: for what? So that they can have a wedding just like every other wedding? I suggest that one of the most important days of our lives should be memorable and unique. Personalize everything! (Now there’s a good P word) Make it about what the two of you love, not about what the hottest trend in table decorating happens to be. Use lots of color! Colors you love! Have a theme or unexpected music or abandon the whole walking down the isle thing and just casually make your way to the front after greeting your guests.

 Put your name, your seal, on the whole thing and don’t try to imitate what anyone else has done. That’s my advice. You can personalize your ribbon with a special message or put pictures of the two of you under glass tops on the tables instead of table cloths. You could have your favorite fun foods in place of roast beef and green beans! Make it unforgettable!

If you’re interested in arts and crafts, there are certain staples that you must have available in your craft kit. Whether you’re interested in sewing or scrapbooking, these generic supplies including items from scrap fabric and buttons to ribbons and glue. These generic craft materials can be used in a variety of home projects. It’s up to your unique and creative vision to make these ordinary and generic materials into something extraordinary.

Ribbon, in particular, has a variety of uses. For example, it makes the perfect trim and accent for any number of clothing items. It can also be used to accent and accentuate parts of a scrapbook page. Simply line a photo in ribbon, and you’ll have fashioned a colorful and textured frame. It can even be used throughout knitting or weaving projects for something a little different. The possibilities are certainly unlimited, and creative individuals are sure to find all kinds of uses for this otherwise mundane household item.

The dress was kind of soft muted spring green. It contoured my shape and had a draped neckline. The bottom flared out into a mermaid cut. I remember the feel of the silky cool satin as I slipped it on in the dressing room.

“I have to have this dress,” I thought when I looked into the mirror and saw how perfectly it fit my boyish, lanky figure.

There were three artsy, glittery flower stems that veined out from one side, just at my waistline. Equally glittery, pink rosettes perfectly placed at the ends of each stem were an elegant feminine touch.

My senior prom was a very memorable night, and I felt like a princess. With my romantic dress and my wrist corsage made of bright pink roses and pink ribbons. It was perfect. I had never felt more beautiful, more grown up.

If you’re thrifty, you might want to make your own corsage for prom. Here’s a brief how-to:

First select your fresh or silk flowers. You will want to use an odd number (one or three) for aesthetic appeal. You can use roses, orchids, lilies, or any other flowers you like.

The next step is to gather your flowers together and secure them into a bunch with stem tape, which comes in green or white. After you’ve taped them together you can add your filler, such as baby’s breath, gypsophila or other tiny flowers, stems and leaves. Don’t use too much, the focal point should be the main flowers. Place some larger single leaves around the base of the corsage and wrap with more stem tape.

Once the corsage has been created, add pretty ribbon and leave several inches of tail hanging. Decorative wire or more ribbon can be used to secure the corsage to your wrist.

It’s that easy!

O.K., you’re a guy with a pretty prom date. You’ve got the limo, the tux rented and the tickets; what’s left?

The answer: DO NOT FORGET THE CORSAGE!

Here are some simple instructions.

When to buy it:

 You should start looking for the right corsage a couple of weeks before the prom. You don’t want to end up with leftover wilted flowers. This is your chance to look thoughtful and romantic!

Picking the flowers:

The expected flowers are roses or carnations but there are so many other options, like lilies or orchids. Look for a corsage with two or three flowers. If it has more than that it can be heavy and cumbersome.

The Ribbon:

The ribbon you choose for the corsage should match your date’s dress. You can get the details about her dress from one of her good friends.

With prom season upon us and wedding season waiting in the wings, I thought it would be interesting to investigate the history and significance of corsages. These floral wristlets or lapel pins usually incorporate roses, orchids or other beautiful blooms. The wrist corsage is usually tied with pretty ribbon bows around the wrist (or ankle in a new trend).

When it comes to weddings, the corsages can easily be considered less important than other floral arrangements, like alter flowers and the bride’s bouquet. But the corsages traditionally given to the mother and grandmother of the bride and groom can be treasured keepsakes and beautiful finishing touches.

Wedding corsages date back to the introduction of wedding flowers, when the ancient Greeks used the flowers’ perfume like fragrances to “ward off evil spirits” during the nuptial ceremony. Not only did the bride carry her bouquet, but the other female members of the wedding party would make small bunches of flowers which they would hold or pin to their clothing.

Wedding corsages continue to be a staple of the wedding ceremony, and their design has been unchanged for the most part. They usually consist of a few small rose buds or other flower blooms and some ribbon which coordinates with the bride’s color scheme.

High school graduation is one of the most important times in any teenager’s life. It marks the completion of a major undertaking. We dress up, have a large ceremony, and make a big deal about the procedure because it also marks the transition, in many ways, from childhood to adulthood. All of these events are certainly noteworthy and deserve recognition. If you know somebody who is graduating this year, don’t forget to get them a commemorative gift so that person can always remember the special day.

While many people offer cash as a graduation gift (and that is certainly always appreciated), consider a slightly more unique gift this round of graduations. Purchase a commemorative graduation tassel, and the event is sure to be remembered by the graduate. Whether these tassels are hung in the graduate’s bedroom or displayed in a car, they serve as a lasting emblem of what that person accomplished. In this way, they can always be reminded of what they did and feel proud of that.

Just for fun, a list of my favorite things…

1. Glitter

2. Ballet flats with bows, jewels, or any other shoe jewelry

3. Little girls with ribbons in their hair

4. Black as night mascara

5. Scrapbooking

6. Scrapbooking stuff, like jewels, ribbons and pretty paper

7. A ribbon or scarf tied around a plain toss pillow

8. Earrings

9. Belts of all sorts: ribbon, leather, metallic, funky, big and chunky, western…

10. Summer Time!!!

While some people don’t see the point in sending out Christmas cards, for me it’s a way to keep in touch with all those people who have passed in and out of my life.  When sending out Christmas cards, I always make sure that I have a slew of packaging supplies.  I think individual handwritten cards really communicate that you care about the recipient, while those tacky mass produced cards that just contain a photo and a ‘Seasons Greetings’ are about as personal as receiving a public utility bill.  I make sure each individual card is written special for the recipient.

I think the day you send out your Christmas cards is also important.  I’ve found that December 10th is the best day for me.  It’s right before the Christmas mail rush, and most of the time the cards arrive about a week before Christmas at the latest.