See you soon!

Agape is going on hiatus -- I have some family business to tend to and my "real" job is about to get heavy. Hopefully I'll be back sooner rather than later, but don't forget about me in the meantime!

Fun With Fruit

Tooling around the Epicurious website last week, I ran in to bouquets for foodies and had to take a peek! Though I'm not entirely sold on asparagus in my nosegay or blackberries near a pristine white gown, I have to admit that kumquats look adorable next to roses, and I'm a sucker for a sheaf of wheat. Here are some of my favorites:

Beautiful pinks and purples with a Pomegranate

(via)

A lovely sheaf of wheat-- I know my AOII sisters will love this!

(via)

Kumquats-- my favorite!

(via)

Sage, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, pineapple mint, and lavender-- the ultimate nosegay!

(via)

I absolutely love this idea and can't wait to try it out! For more bouquets, head on over to "Bridal Bouquets for Food Lovers" and see some other amazing creations!

Website!!

I've been trying to get off my butt for a while and get an *actual* website going for this business. It's growing slowly but surely and the site will provide you, my dear potential customers, with a better way to get in touch with me and see my projects. Part of my hiatus here has been working on that site, and I'm so happy to present...

Agape Events Atlanta: Planning, Design, and Coordination for Your Event

My friend Holly has held my hand through this, and I'm so excited this is off the ground! Wordpress has been so easy to work with, and in the coming weeks I look forward to putting up contracts, surveys, and other paperwork for potential clients to view. 

Picking Right Up

Well kids, real life has gotten in the way once again! My "real" job is running a child care facility and heading in to full day camp for the summer has been a doozy! Thankfully, after next week, life will be a little easier and I can start keeping everyone entertained again... That being said, let's pick up where I left off!

My last Markdown Monday (which is quickly turning in to DIY Monday) talked about submerged flowers in water. I still haven't had a chance to hit up the dollar store or anywhere else with silk flowers, but I *did* remember that for Lauren and Todd's wedding we did something similar for the centerpiece so here's a glimpse of the real thing until I can get you something fake ;)

For this one, we used the fun little water beads, which looked amazing with the lit candles! And the flowers stayed fresh and happy all night.

Lauren + Todd

Two months ago, Lauren and Todd got married on a beautiful St. Patrick's day! Agape Events was so proud to be able to coordinate this beautiful wedding-- Lauren and Todd are a wonderful couple and it was a pleasure to work with them and their families. It was also our first professional collaboration with partners in crime, Everything Nice Photography!

Hydrangea Centerpieces

Mix and Match candlesticks lent a shabby-chic feel to the reception area

The dessert table with bite-sized cupcakes and the bride's and groom's cakes

Italian food from the restaurant where Todd and Lauren had their first date

Joanna and Aubrey coordinating the huge wedding party pictures!

Good luck to the happy couple, and thanks for letting us be part of your big day!

Beautiful Bouquets

(via)

No fun projects this week-- the "spring forward" today caught me totally off guard PLUS I stayed up way too late reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" (talk about food for thought...). I do, however, have a very nifty DIY for centerpieces that I found today on Pinterest!

I've long been in love with the submerged centerpiece look-- I think it's a great way to add a touch of color and work in floating candles, but without being overwhelming and in-your-face like some taller flower arrangements can be. But, it's a bit of a pain to think about-- getting fresh cut flowers and making sure they're not underwater too long, trying to place them so they don't get singed by the candles, etc. As usual, Pinterest provided me with a "duh" moment today...

(via)

What's that you say? Silk flowers look better submerged in water? Duh. 

So, for a cheap and easy fix to an elegant centerpiece, pick up some silk flowers, distilled water, and dollar store vases-- I'll try this out next weekend and let you know if it looks as good as it does on Pinterest!

Prudent Gifts

I've recently become addicted (I know, I know, me and my blog addictions...) to Dear Prudence, the advice column over at Slate. During the course of reading around a decade of columns, I've seen a lot of questions about wedding gifts-- appropriate and inappropriate. I've written before about registries and requests, but the questions posed to Prudie made me wonder... what is the most meaningful gift I've received? So many people talk about the amount of money they're spending on gifts, and though we did our absolute best to keep our registry on the cheap end  I certainly know people dear to my heart who have had registries were the cheapest thing was around $40! So what to do in those situations?

My friends, take it from me, the most wonderful gifts you can give are not things from registries. Those are wish lists, for some it's a list of things the happy couple need like a can opener or decent dishes that aren't mis-matched from college, and I have been just as lucky "going off-registry" with a small and thoughtful gift.

What makes me happy? What makes me feel like we are truly loved are the following:

1. The picture above-- I thought it would be very cute to have everyone sign a picture frame in addition to the guest book, that way we would have something to display always. My sorority little sister drew the funny little stick figures in the middle where we would eventually put a wedding photo. Her picture is still there. I love reading the names of those present at our wedding and it would definitely be one of those "save from the burning house" items.

2. A pair of journals from my mother's friends and fellow Rhodents-- they received the same gift for their wedding, a journal for each of them to record their thoughts and feelings and experiences throughout their marriage.

3. My friend Anne-Minter's words to me-- one of my best friends growing up, Anne-Minter, graced me with the honor of having her as a bridesmaid. Her mother passed away when we were in high school, which was a shock to us both; Mickey was like a second mother to me and losing both of them so suddenly was heart-wrenching. I think of both of them constantly. At the reception, Anne-Minter came up to me and whispered, "Mama would be so proud of you." I didn't cry all day, my husband was the one with the tears flowing at the ceremony! But those words were worth all the gifts in the world.

So, when you get invited to a wedding, don't feel obligated to bring a gift; or, perhaps, don't feel obligated to bring an expensive gift. If the bride and/or groom is close, some words of love will be well received and cherished, or a simple but thoughtful gift will mean the world. If your friends choose to be picky, you can always point them to the Prudie column which includes a couple that received a book on how to survive a cheating spouse from an aunt and uncle!

Deals around Town

Publishing FAIL! I had this post all lined up and didn't remember to hit "publish post" last night!


This week's a simple rundown on the deals around town for those of you planning an event--

* $300 gets you Four Hours + Attendant + Prints from a Photo Booth through a LivingSocial Deal for Picture Perfect Announcements! This would be a great deal for a wedding, anniversary party, retirement party, or even a milestone birthday. Who doesn't love a Photo Booth?!

(Photo By Meg Clark)

* $70 gets you a LivingSocial package for a birthday party for up to 8 kids at MightyJumps over on Collier-- this place is a bit hellish from an adult's perspective (think weird carpet design and Kidz Bop), but we were here for my goddaughter's birthday this weekend and the kids loved it! With the amount of money people are dropping on kids' parties these days, a deal like this might be worth it for the kiddos in your life. (Alternatively, they also have a deal for bouncy houses if you have a warm-weather birthday coming up-- Groupon also has a similar deal)

* Looking for a baby shower gift for the crunchy mom in your circle? $10 gets you a free Mom & Baby or Prenatal class at Oh Baby! Fitness thanks to LS. I've gathered from friends of mine that these are things they wanted to try while pregnant, but couldn't "justify" spending the money, so this would be a welcome gift!

If you're not in Atlanta, be sure to check out your local versions of these sites-- after the initial boom, they're focusing less on restaurant deals and more on "escapes" "adventures" and "goods" for your convenience!

Anniversary Party!

Y'all, not only is this my 100th post, but it's also the first anniversary of Agape Events!! In honor of that, I'll be laying out an anniversary party for a young couple AND pulling a winner from our Facebook fans to receive a piece of custom jewelry from my Lemongrass Boutique shop, so be sure to "like" us on Facebook before Sunday!

Without further ado, a young and fresh winter anniversary party...

Favors for your guests-- home made infused vodka!

Put a few flowers around in some simple mason jars

Set up a DIY Photo Booth (WAY easier than you would think!) 

Whip up some pretty punch

And set out a simple delicious dip!

That last picture is a 7 Layer Greek Dip that I made for my own anniversary party in December-- it was a big hit and SUPER easy to make! We put it flat out on a platter and surrounded it with pita chips and it disappeared pretty quickly. To see more recipes, and get tips for a DIY Photo Booth check out my Anniversary Party Pinboard on Pinterest!

Sweet Tooth

Clearly, it's a sweet time of year for me-- I've been obsessing over cakes lately! I have an entire board of them over on Pinterest; "Special Cakes" I've called it, and they are all a LOT better than the wrecks featured the last couple of weeks!

1. Chambord Layer Cake

(via)

I'm a sucker for Chambord-- it is pricey and decadent and dee-lish! Serving this little baby up at a bridal shower with French Martinis would be a guaranteed hit!

2. Charming Chromatic

(via)

You could use the layers to put in different flavors, or just leave it be and make it pretty! The cake as a whole is just as beautiful as the inside.

3. Diminutive Delights

(via)

I think these would be adorable for any shower, and even for a wedding! If you have a baker in the family and the ever amazing helpful wedding party, you could do these a couple of days out-- just don't break out the wine until the icing is done... 

4. Neapolitan Cake

(via)

Oh, boy, I'm also a big time sucker for Neapolitan. I think the only thing that would make this better is a layer of strawberry cake, then strawberry ice cream, then chocolate... well, I'm sure you get where I'm going with this. What a great way to please every palate! 

What about you? What does your sweet tooth have you craving?

Birthday Blues

Some of us (ahem) who have winter birthdays feel the pain-- and those of us who love people with winter birthdays ALSO feel the pain. My father's birthday is 12/23, my birthday is 1/28, and my goddaughter's birthday is 2/26 with countless others strewn throughout. By the time you get past Christmas and New Years, you're coming up on Valentine's Day and you're broke and at a total loss as to what you should pick up!

Never fear, the internet is here to help; this week's markdown Monday is a visit to West Elm, Patina Stores, and Cursive New York which have some very expensive things, but also some wonderful little treats that will please your loved ones without breaking the bank!

Hand-Blocked Zipper Cases, $7-12 -- for the friend who has (and loses) everything

Alphabet Trays, $8 -- find a nice soap to add in, and you have the perfect bathroom gift!

Colored Pencils in a Box, $15 -- I still have a set I got as a child, these are a wonderfully whimsical gift for the person who has everything!

Tiger Game, $15 -- Table games are making a big time comeback, so if you know someone who likes Jenga (before OR after a glass of wine!) this would be an excellent addition to their collection.

Tabletop Games, $5.95 -- Speaking of tabletop games, if your friend likes to host, this may be just what they need! With 8 choices, you could build up their collection for birthdays and holidays to come!

I love these gifts because they're simple and fun-- we're so often worried about going all out for that perfect present OR trying to find something that the recipient "needs" because everyone "needs" something, right? You know what? Some of the best and most treasured presents I've ever received were little tiny gifts like these. Things that were fun and whimsical and just plain made my day. So, don't be afraid to get out there and look around-- poke around these three sites and Etsy because you never know what you're going to find that might make that special someone smile!

Keep up with these gifts and more on my Gift Ideas Pinboard on Pinterest!

Winter Weddings: Really Red Romance

Moreso than any other winter month, February gets a bad wrap. I'm not gonna lie, I'm just as guilty of this as anyone else, but just like with any other winter month there's a lot you can do to brighten things up-- especially when everyone inevitably suggests you have a Valentine's Wedding!

In the spirit of love and cheering this dreary, chilly, wet month up for those of us in the States, Here's your Valentine's Wedding, Pt. I:

(via)

(via)

I adore the edible centerpieces, and what goes better with champagne than chocolate dipped strawberries? And with a helpful wedding party, they'd be so easy to make! Heart cookies would make adorable favors, and with a paper cutter and a heart shaped punch you could put together a quick and easy thank you note to compliment them! Best of all, a striking red and white contrast will make the head table pop! To see these pins and more, visit my Valentine's Wedding Pinboard on Pinterest!

Cake Wrecks Tribute

After last week's shower cake debate, I decided to look around and see if that pregnancy test cake was really the worst thing I could find... I really wish I'd decided not to. Since I'm suffering, y'all will have to suffer with me because misery loves company!

At first, I thought maybe it was this cake of the zebra print dress with the baby foot:

(via)

It verges on cute, but there's still something a little... unsettling about that foot. And I dislike zebra print, but that's just a personal conviction.

Then, there's this:

(via)

WARNING: DO NOT CLICK THAT LINK UNLESS YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR EATING! 

CakeWrecks really outdid themselves with that one! Oh, but it was followed by worse. Much worse. I won't subject you to that involuntarily.

Whatever happened to blocks and rattles? Am I just old fashioned? What do you think-- would you go for an "innovative" cake or one of these classics?

(via)

(via)

(I promise, back to normal stuff next week-- I'm just morbidly fascinated by this whole thing!)

This here's a tale for all you fellas...

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day-- day of love, romance and "OH CRAP!" Randall of xkcd had a great comic about it today, in fact...

Now, I know all my ladies are prepared because that's the nature of our half of the population but the gents... well, there's always a wonderful crush of fellas racing for those last few roses at the store! I also know that my loving husband hates buying things for me because I can always find a deal, so this one's for you guys!

Who says you need to spend $50 on cut flowers and a vase? Tomorrow, you can stop by your nearest thrift store/Salvation Army/whathaveyou and pick up a vase for fifty cents, and pick up some pink, purple, and white flowers at the grocery store. Your lady will be so impressed you went to the trouble, it will totally make up for not paying through the nose for the smallest bouquet FTD has to offer! (which is mostly carnations, anyway)

"But Meg!" you exclaim, "I don't know how to do that!" No worries, my friend, here's a basic tutorial on picking up flowers and putting them in a vase. Low on effort, high on reward! You can use the money you saved to take her out for a nice dessert or pick up a bottle of wine!

Get yourself the basics-- a vase, some water, flowers, and scissors!

I had this vase around, but it cost me about fifty cents at the thrift store

I love the colors here, and this was the $5 bunch!

Get an idea of how much taller the original stem is than your vase

On an angle cut off a couple inches to start with

Still a little tall! Cut off another inch or two to get it about right

Cut the rest of your flowers at varying heights-- all one height is boring!

Don't: leave on wilty looking leaves and flowers! They'll make the bunch last a shorter amount of time!

Don't: Feel like you need to use all the included schtuff-- this one was included in the bunch, but I didn't think it was necessary. Simple is good!

Voila! Your bouquet is ready for presenting! 

And pretty from any angle!

Baby Shower Do's and Don'ts

Don'ts, Don't's? Dos? Do's?

However you think that should be punctuated, we can all agree that there are baby showers that are awesome and baby showers that are... annoying and creepy. My latest blog obsession (because, yes, I get entirely obsessed with things-- see, The Bloggess and the week I lost reading her ENTIRE archive) is STFU, Parents. Living in the baby capitol of the world (Decatur, GA) I appreciate a lot of the posts over there, but it's definitely for people who have a sense of humor. The author, B, has a column on a site called Mommyish that's a pretty great site and last week they went all out!

This was the cake featured on the STFU post, and the Mommyish piece can be found here. Definitely worth a read if you're thinking of a baby shower. 

What do you think-- are shower games passe? Sure, everyone thinks that poopy diaper one is a little iffy, but we played the one with clothespins at my bridal shower and it was actually kinda fun! (and I'm NOT a big shower game person) I ended up with no clothespins and my college BFF/roomie/bridesmaid got to take home the bottle of wine she bought... maybe it's the bottle of wine v. the Yankee Candle? I mean, they don't have a sangria scented one... 

Exciting News!!

Those of you who have been long time readers know how much I adore Amy Atlas and her designs-- she's so phenomenal and such an inspiration! Plus, her work is just flat out CUTE.

Tuesday afternoon, she announced on her blog that she has a BOOK coming out! How amazing is that?!

Available for Pre-Order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Book comes out April 24

I have already pre-ordered my copy, so if Amy herself is a little out of your price range, I'm hoping to study this book like (well) it's my job and be the best Amy Atlas impersonator in the Southeast! But with darker hair... and probably a bit shorter... maybe a mask? 

Congrats to Amy and her team on such a great accomplishment-- I can't wait to get my hands on the book!

Tips and Tricks

Most likely you realized before I did that I can't find you a bargain in and of itself every Monday, but tips and tricks are the way to go when a bargain isn't at hand! One of the best books given to me when I was planning my own wedding was Bridal Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields-- they've got a very pragmatic look at the way the wedding industry works, and include tips on just about everything from how to deal with the caterers to stubborn seamstresses during dress fittings! Of course, my version was from 1995, but they have a new edition out from 2010 which can be found on Amazon for a very reasonable price! Even if you have a wedding planner, this is a great investment for any bride-and-groom-to-be!

'Tis The Season...

To get engaged!

My dear friend, little sister, and Maid of Honor just got engaged to her fella, Joey-- we've been waiting for this to happen forever and I couldn't be happier for the both of them! They are meant to be together and now... to work my way in to making trips to Austin a legitimate business expense...

Congrats, little-- I love you!

Lauren + Joey on Pinterest