Inslee By Design

Happy April! As the days get sunnier and warmer I’m always reminded that it’s almost Mother’s Day. This year it will be on Sunday, May 12th, so mark your calendars and start shopping for something sweet for the woman who taught you everything. 

As an only child, I always look forward to this day to share with my mom. I consider myself something of an expert at planning special days for the two of us. She planned so many wonderful birthdays and special occasions for me as a little girl and now I love getting to plan things for her. We’re planning my wedding together right now actually! 

So as an expert, let me suggest a few good ideas for Mother’s Day shopping. Wouldn’t this Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag  be such a cute springy carry all for a new mom? And whether new mom or seasoned expert, every woman will enjoy the beautiful new pieces from Kendra Scott. And a word of advice, skip the breakfast in bed. She’ll end up with a mess to clean up! 

Event design, styling and photography: Kate Landers

Event design, styling and photography: Kate Landers

Event design, styling and photography: Kate Landers

There are so many events in life, big and small, worth celebrating. This is Kate Landers, here to share with you a personal event, along with some tips on creating your own simple and unique party.

Our son Noah was diagnosed with severe plagiocephaly and torticollis as an infant, and underwent treatment including a helmet. You can read about our story here.

When Noah completed his physical therapy and helmet treatment, we decided to host a little celebration! You can also celebrate your own “Hooray!” moments, such as running in a charity race, performing in a recital or finishing a thesis, with very little prep time. Here’s how we did it:

1. Simple Decorations: In our light green and blue color scheme, we decided on two simple decorations for Noah’s party: Fluffy tissue poms on the cake table and surrounding floor (no need to hang from the ceiling with fishing line – this kept set up very quick) and a “Hooray for Noah!” garland.

2. Handmade Party Products: Handmade party products are on-trend, whether you craft them yourself or support your favorite handmade party business. My dear and incredibly talented friends of Icing Designs custom-created pennant garlands with festoon trim, ruffled crepe and hand-glittered letters, along with matching invitations, cake topper and rosette pins reading “Hooray for Noah!” for guests to wear.

3. Ruffled Cake: If you follow wedding and party sites, you’ve probably seen many ruffle frosted cakes. Whether frosted on the sides, top or all over, they add a festive touch. We went with a pale blue cake ruffled only on the sides so the cake topper would stand out.

4. Bamboo Cutlery & Paper Party Products: Finally, opt for simple and classic paper party products! I love using the ever-popular bamboo cutlery at my events. We kept ours plain, but there are many options to decorate with tape, stamps, glitter and more. In addition, we used rectangular paper plates with coordinating napkins. The best part? Each place setting fit perfectly into a darling matching paper favor bag, creating a pretty display of meal essentials that guests could easily grab. Noah absolutely LOVED sliding the plates in and out of the bags, so it served as a surprise dose of entertainment for the littlest guests!

Lastly, don’t stress with steaming those fabric table linens… a simple white table works perfectly. We even repurposed a desk drawer to display the place setting pouches as described above. These touches kept everything so simple, especially due to a quick and easy set up and clean up!

I am THRILLED to say that Noah’s helmet is nothing but a memory now, and we cannot wait for our next “Hooray!” moment as an opportunity to gather loved ones and enjoy cake and laughter.

RESOURCE LIST

• Styling, Design & Photography: Kate Landers
• Banner & Cake Topper: Icing Designs
• Party Supplies: Happy Wish Company

Inslee By Design

Spring is right around the corner and I’m dreaming of flowers! I’d love to begin my spring cleaning with a garden full of tulips outside and a new set of bed linens inside. This Pine Cone Hill Watercolor Flowers Duvet is right up my alley. Crisp white linens dotted with vibrant watercolored flowers – so perfect for springtime. I’d pair it with the Arteriors Zoey Mustard Dot lamp to keep the colorful, bright theme going. I happen to love a round mirror over a bed. Especially one with an inlaid quatrefoil like the Regina Andrew Decor Lula Gloss White Mirror. What a cheerful room to welcome in the new season. Happy Spring!

Event design, styling and photography: Kate Landers

Event design, styling and photography: Kate Landers

Event design, styling and photography: Kate Landers

Kate Landers here to share some celebration inspiration for spring, my favorite time of the year! One of my very favorite childhood storybooks for spring is about a fluffy white rabbit, and these desserts were inspired by a rabbit’s white cotton tail. Read below on how to get this look for your Easter celebration!


1. The Coconut Cake Bite Tower WCreating the dessert tower is incredibly easy and is sure to wow those you serve it to! You can use cake bites, cake pops or even donut holes!

To achieve the look shown, you will need approximately 4 dozen 1″ cake bites, 1 styrofoam cone (4″ diameter at base by 8″ tall) or to keep everything edible, a frosted rice krispie treat that mimics that shape, and several small toothpicks. Insert a toothpick on a slight angle upwards into the styrofoam starting at the base. Attach a cake pop onto the toothpick, and repeat for the entire bottom of the tower. Work your way up to the top until finished.

Display on a petite round dessert pedestal and you are ready to serve. I had some lovely embroidered blush cloth napkins on hand, perfect for guests to hold under their cake bite to catch any loose coconut.

2. Rabbit Printed Details Loralee Lewis has a gorgeous printed white rabbit collection seen here that utilizes a soft blush color. I used an “EASTER” banner to hang behind the tower, a small dessert sign and some favor carton labels (details below). Simple yet sweet.

3. Cottontails-to-Go There are many spring holidays I remember heading for a relative’s house for an afternoon dinner, and being very hungry in the car on the way. These “coconut cottontails” are a perfect sweet treat at home or on the road to hold you over. It was important to me that special take home packages were provided for guests so they could enjoy while heading to their final holiday destination. The white ice cream/soup cartons from Think Garnish work perfectly! In addition, Loralee’s labels are a lovely fit for the lid and to wrap around the carton. You can personalize them with guests’ names or simply print with a seasonal sentiment.

4. Spring Flowers There is something so cheerful about spring blooms. Hyacinth, rannunculus, tulips…and adding a small bouquet of these limited-avaiable-stems to the dessert table set the spring tone. They look beautiful arranged in a vase, small pitcher or urn.

RESOURCE LIST

• Styling, Design & Photography: Kate Landers
• Paperie: Loralee Lewis
• Coconut Cake Pops: Jasmine of Cakes with Jaz
• White Favor Cartons: Think Garnish

Kate Landers here, thrilled to share Valentine’s Day dinner party inspiration and free exclusive printable gift tags courtesy of the incredibly talented designer, Loralee Lewis. It is with great joy that I can take this opportunity to introduce you to Loralee (whose favorite holiday happens to be Valentine’s Day!) and her latest collection, debuting right here on Layla Grayce. Loralee is founder of her self-named business, Loralee Lewis, a company specializing in event paper and fine stationery for special events. She also serves as the party editor of Babiekins Magazine. When she isn’t designing wedding suites or styling photo shoots, you will likely find her trying to keep up with her four small children.

Design, Styling & Photography by Loralee Lewis

I asked Loralee if she would design a few free printable Valentine’s Day gift tags exclusively for Layla Grayce readers, and she said yes! I wanted a sophisticated yet simple design, using soft pink and another color such as grey, gold or emerald green. I knew with very few guidelines, she would create something absolutely perfect. Two of the gift tag designs feature sweet love phrases, which Loralee suggests can also be use yearlong attached to favors for weddings, baby showers or a girl’s first birthday.

Design, Styling & Photography by Loralee Lewis

In her own words, “Paper gives hosts and hostesses the chance to express themselves and their personalities beyond flowers and a table setting. When done correctly, paper can bring an event to life! Each paper item is adorned with cheeky phrases, such as ‘Take Me. I’m Yours.’ to keep guests on their toes. My goal is to create paper people will cherish for a lifetime, tokens of happy memories.”

Design, Styling & Photography by Loralee Lewis

Much like other admirers of Layla Grayce, Loralee values quality and exceptional design. She is always innovating and creating new paper items for that “wow” factor. Stay tuned as Loralee will be releasing a digital Summer Party Resource Book in the coming months, and the expansion of her event paper products, including her newest item, the personalized favor boxes you see here in this shoot. I look forward to printing these tags myself, adding some silver german glass glitter and raw silk ribbon to attach to gifts for my loved ones. Click here to download the gift tags.

Design, Styling & Photography by Loralee Lewis

Inslee By Design

The most romantic month of the year has arrived! Bring on the pink and red everything, the flowers, the chocolate, the excuse to send valentines and – best of all – the excuse to get in the kitchen and cook something decadent for someone you love. I’ve never been a big fan of the white-tablecloth-restaurant date on V-day. I prefer spending time at home, cooking something from the heart and skipping all the formalities of going out.

But don’t get me wrong, staying in doesn’t mean spending Valentine’s in your yoga pants. A sweet little black mini dress would be an unexpectedly romantic date-night-in look paired with bright pumps. And since you’ll be in the kitchen, I’d add the Jessie Steele cross stitch hearts apron. Whip up some macarons and you’d be the ultimate picture of loveliness.

Speaking of macarons, wouldn’t these limoges be the perfect gifts for all your favorite girlfriends on February 14th or any time of year?

Inslee By Design

Happy Awards Show season everyone! This may be the darkest and coldest month of the year here in NYC, but it is the most glamorous time of the year for stargazing as celebrities suit up in red carpet finery out west. Thank goodness for the Oscars! I feel warmer just looking at the beautiful people! All the glitz and glamor on TV has me inspired to get a little sparkly myself. Wouldn’t this Tracy Reese Frock be perfect for a mid-winter black tie event? I love the metallic shimmery disks on the front and the sleek exposed zipper down the back. This kind of dress was made for January.

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

This is Kate Landers, thrilled to share with you a most darling personal event: our son Noah’s First Birthday Celebration! As an event stylist I have always recognized what a milestone event a first birthday is. As a mom, I have experienced first-hand the emotions and tremendous joy that comes along with celebration the first twelve months with your little one. I invite you to enjoy the beautiful images that captured a most perfect birthday celebration.

1. We opted for a very intimate family affair, 15 guests. Also, for the sake of Noah and other little ones, we kept the party at a manageable length of one hour.

2. We held the party mid-afternoon, offering a simple menu of birthday cake and a few special sweets, doubling as party favors, on the dessert table. This is also keeps your party within a reasonable budget.

3. Hiring a professional photographer allowed us to relax as parents, and feel fully present for this special day. It was an investment I highly recommend. Liza was able to capture precious moments as well as event details I normally would fuss over as a stylist.

4. Noah has a favorite giant teddy bear that he loves to tackle and snuggle, who served as inspiration for the party theme. The soft blue, yellow and tan color palette kept the event sweet and “baby”–celebrating his first 12 months of life. Loralee Lewis created a most darling paperie collection that everyone adored.

5. I thoroughly enjoyed hand-crafting (with my husband Ryan’s help!) pom poms for party hats I made. They were also displayed as soft toy balls, paired with the yellow polka dot boxes representing baby blocks, making for crafty centerpieces.

6. Noah had his very own “smash cake,” while guests enjoyed a soft blue ruffled cake filled with whipped cream and strawberries. Smash Cakes are fabulous for that infamous first birthday portrait!

7. Garden chairs and floor-length table linens created a clean palette for styling this event. The 3′ white balloons from The TomKat Studio also filled the celebration space with white. I used wide satin ribbons to tie them to the back of chairs, making them perfect for little guests to carry home.

8. I fell in love with the “Noah” banner created by Loralee Lewis, and we now have it hanging in his room, a charming way to remember this milestone celebration.

9. Inviting long-distance friends and family members to create items for the party can be a wonderful way to celebrate your child’s party with them. My dear friend Lynn made the gorgeous fine-wale pale blue corduroy overalls Noah wore, while my good friend Ruth monogrammed them.

10. Guests signed cards leaving “Warm Fuzzy Birthday Wishes” for Noah to read and enjoy for many years to come. I cannot wait to put together his first birthday book, another way to let the celebration continue!

RESOURCE LIST

• Styling & Design: Kate Landers
• Photography: Liza Voll Photography
• Custom Table Linens: Sweet Tea and Linen
• Paperie: Loralee Lewis
• Tableware, Party Supplies & Favor Packaging: The TomKat Studio
• Custom Cookies: Bambella Cookie Boutique
• Chocolate Covered Oreos: Le Bonbon LA
• Fondant Krispie Treat Toppers: Edible Details
• Party Horns: Oh Goodie Designs
• Peg Doll Cake Topper: Craft That Party
• Caramel Corn, Butterscoth Candies & Lollipops: Hammonds Candies
• Yellow Polka Dot Favor Boxes: Pamela Smerker Designs
• White Cake Stands: Rosanna Inc at Layla Grayce
• Embroidered “Noah” Party Hat: Shawna Brockmeier Styled Events
• First Birthday Subway Art Print: Dollhouse Paperie By Dolce Drive

Inslee By Design

Home for the holidays! It’s time to pop the champagne and gather round the bar (cart) to celebrate the end to another great year and look forward to ringing in 2013. This beautiful cart would make any holiday gathering feel even more festive, fully stocked with all the classics of course.

Merry merry! See you next year!

Read on for top tips from Simply Grove on streamlining your decor for the New Year!

1. DwellStudio Home Throw Blanket 2. Gold Mirror Tray 3. Jonathan Adler Scroll Wallpaper 4. Aidan Gray Wire Baskets 5. Worlds Away Oval Wastebasket 6. Arteriors Amber Glass Table Lamp 7. Bungalow 5 Silver Leaf Mirror 8. DwellStudio Home Eva Pillow

As the New Year approaches, I’ve been contemplating ways to simplify my life. One way I have found is to be more intentional in my decor. I want to own things that have value for years to come and that can be multi-functional. A few ideas are purchasing storage items that can be used as decor. Also, create a design palette that you have loved for more than 6 months, and decorate around that. Using timeless pieces will help your wallet in the end.

Layla Grayce offers decor pieces that won’t break your bank but look like a million bucks. I have chosen a few items that I know will look gorgeous in any space and that you will love for years to come. Let’s ring in the New Year with a fabulously intentional space!