Going Green with Vintage China and Decor

While many of you know that we love thrifting and hunting through estate sales, we wanted to take a moment  to highlight some of our green practices for those eco-friendly wedding planners and soon-to-be married couples out there.  

1. Our vintage dishes keep new resources from being used to make new china.  We are loads better than disposable china!
2. Rental deliveries are made by hybrid vehicle whenever possible.  Fun Fact: a Toyota Prius can fit 8 dining chairs in it! 
3. We hand wash all dishes with gentle detergent and as few chemicals as possible.  We also hand dry them with cotton reusable towels.
4. We pad our dishes with washable cushions whenever possible to reduce landfill waste. 
5. Our lace linens not only have far fewer wrinkles than mass produced linens, but since we wash them all ourselves they aren't repackaged each use in plastic.
6. We repurpose chipped, broken, and stained china to make new unique creations and keep old china out of landfills.
7. We repurpose old architectural elements such as radiator covers and trunks into lounge areas and bars.  Who knew?!

 So if you or your friends are looking for a eco-friendly wedding vendor, please consider Something Vintage!  

Afternoon Tea Party Packages

Good news!  To make hosting a lovely tea party a worry-free as possible and based on customer requests, we've created our Afternoon Tea Party Package that includes everything the hostessess with the mostest will need for a successful fete.

We also offer a la carte items for anyone wishing to include lace linens, platters, or milk glass vases.  The advantage of the package is that it is all inclusive and it is 20 percent less than if you reserve the items individually.   How easy is that?!

If you have questions about rentals for tea parties, please shoot me an email dawn@somethingvintagerentals.com

Weathered Wedding Centerpiece

Looking for a unique vintage centerpiece? We made a beautiful vase of plaster dipped flowers here at Something Vintage the other day. This is a rustic, weathered, and vintage table-topper that could easily be replicated for all dinner tables at your wedding!

Supplies:

Fake Flowers (open flowers catch the plaster and dry with the most visible detail)

Wire Cutters

Plaster

Clothes pins (to hang flowers for drying)

Step 1: Prepare flowers. Cut off each flower from the bunch - and remove all leaves from each stem.

Step 2: Mix plaster in an old disposable container (big enough for the open flower to be dipped inside).

Step 3: Dip each flower in the plaster and coat the pedals. Shake off the excess plaster and set aside while dipping additional flowers.

Step 4: Hang the flowers outside to dry. Placing them outside will help them dry faster - and keep them from dripping on your floor indoors.

Step 5: Once your flowers are dry, place them in a fun vase to create a unique centerpiece. We put newspaper in the bottom of this tea pot to help keep the flowers in place.

Newbies @ Something Vintage: Turquoise Depression Glass Beauties

We are obsessed with these amazing turquoise canisters that we scored on a recent trip to the Midwest.  Obviously, we love all things aqua and turquoise but these are just so cute.  The uses for them at events are endless- marinated bar garnishes, flowers, a candy buffet...lovely light catchers in a window.  We also have a little fourth one...but are still searching for a lid for the little guy.  Stay tuned :)

Teacup Cupcakes

Doesn't everything look prettier in a tea cup?  We think so.  

We used neon pink icing and make the chevron flag with a gold paint pen and cardstock.  Not to shabby for a Thursday afternoon.  Oh did I mention that it's  pink lemonade cupcake?!  Count it.   

Finding the Perfect Blue Wedding Shoes

Blue shoes can be a great way to incorporate "something blue" into your wedding attire. Here are some tips to find the perfect pair for your big day.

Narrow your search when looking online by the most important criteria first. Too broad a search will overwhelm and too narrow a search will become frustrating. Allow yourself 2 or 3 non-negotiables (example: must be aqua and have a high heel), but after that keep the search (and your mind) open.  Great places to search are Shopstyle and Polyvore, which collect photos of top products.  Don't forget international sites like Yoox that may have lesser known European brands- that's where I found my aqua patent pumps!

Remember there are many shades of blue out there. Do you need a specific shade to match the decor? Maybe you don't know quite yet, and that's okay! We have shoes in cobalt, light, navy, and aqua already organized on our pinterest page. Try similar words in your search too (light blue can be described as baby, powder, turquoise, robin egg, angel, cyan, sky, and pastel).

Once you have an assortment of color appropriate shoes - the pair you pick should also complement the atmosphere of your wedding. At Something Vintage, we understand paying attention to small details like show color hard. Don't give up though - it'll be worth it in the end!

Here are some examples of lovely blue wedding shoes. 

Badgley Mischka's aqua blue satin pump is conservative (as it covers your entire foot) with a hit of sex appeal from the peep toe. Perfect for a Classic and Feminine Wedding.

Christian Louboutin's Blanca Watersnake Pump is always a perfect 10, whether a barn wedding or at four star hotel.  How can you go wrong with a deep color and amazing texture like this?

Steve Madden's cobalt blue satin pump has a sky high heel with rhinestones and a platform front. Perfect for a Trendy and Edgy Wedding.

Modcloth's navy blue and white slingback heel screams 1940s with it's peep toe and bow detail. Perfect for a Vintage Wedding.

Madden Girl's aqua blue t-strap sandals with gold buckles and toe plate are light and airy. Perfect for a Beach Wedding.

Enzo Angiolini's navy blue suede and glitter heels have a lot of character. Wearing these would be a cause for celebration! Perfect for a glamourous wedding.

Happy Hunting!

DIY Hobnail Plate Sneak Peek

We spent the afternoon coming up with this beauty:  DIY hobnail.  Yes, believe your eyes!  Stay tuned for instructions...