Pinterest Challenge – Paper Popcorn Cones and Used Book Centerpieces

Remember all of those weddings I mentioned in my last post? Well, I was fortunate to be able to help out with planning two of the showers this year – which is right up my alley. I’m a planner. See I haven’t really shared this in the past on here because I’ve always focused on what to do in PA and not everything that I do here, such as making things. But I LOVE to make stuff. My mom  gushing, “Look what Stephanie made!” gives me a little bit of a high. I’m sick. I know. And my Dziadzi always asks what projects I’m working on when I see him. Gotta give him something – the old man lives for it! OK. He definitely doesn’t live to hear about my projects. He doesn’t even sit still long enough to hear about them. That man is like the energizer bunny, he has 10 times more projects than I do at any given time.

Anyway, for the last shower, which was for my BFFE (Best Friend Foreva’ Eva’ – ’cause we’re gansta like that), I thought it would be cool to do a “Tale of Two Coasts” theme since the bride grew up in Baltimore, MD, but now lives in San Francisco, which is where her future hubby grew up. So I started Googling – I figured this couldn’t be the first “Two Coasts” shower/party and I needed inspiration. I Googled and Googled and couldn’t find anything! And I Google keywords for a living! But while I was Googling, I did find random things that inspired me so I pinned them (on Pinterest).

The first were these paper popcorn cones (say that three times fast). I think I Googled something like “San Francisco themed shower favors”. Go figure, because as soon as I saw them I thought Ocean City Maryland’s Fisher’s Popcorn – YUM! Pinned here.

Here’s how my version turned out.

I picked up a book of vintage looking scrapbook paper with a travel and newspaper theme. It was perfect because the colors were similar to their wedding colors AND the couple LOVES to travel AND the groom is a journalist. SCORE!

So I cut the scrapbook paper in half, then I rolled it into a cone shape and chopped off the excess paper and taped it. Eaaaasy. I hung some of them up with tulle and clothespins on empty picture frames and put some in baskets.

And then in my Googling, I found crab charms! What self-respecting Marylander doesn’t love steamed crabs? Side note: my Pennsylvania-born hubby does not like steamed crabs. My Aunt calls him un-American. Anyway, I knew I wanted to do a second favor, but how could I make crab charms cover the San Francisco portion of the theme? Answer: make crab wine charms and wrap them around Ghiradelli chocolate squares and suggest guests enjoy glass of wine with both

I put them in another basket next to the popcorn cones.

Also, when I was Googling I found this picture garland. It inspired me to do something similar with iconic images of San Fran and Maryland, intermingled with pictures of the couple. I put a vintage overlay on the pictures to create a little synergy with all of the different pictures. I mounted them on ivory paper and used clothes pins and tulle to attach them to the tablecloth and empty picture frames.

And here is how everything looked together.

Lastly, when I was Googling, I found these used book centerpieces pinned here. Maybe it was subliminal messaging, but I fell in LOVE.

These were so perfect to replicate as the table centerpieces because the bride is HUGE into reading. She’s seriously the fastest reader I know and she goes through more books in a month than an avid reader does in a year. So I looked up used books (on Maryland and San Francisco of course!) and bought them in varying sizes. I stained paper doilies in coffee to give them a little bit of an antique look and stacked the books on top of them. Then I picked up some white vases on clearance at Michael’s and clipped flowers from my yard that morning.

I can’t take credit for how they turned out at the shower – the bride’s mom (or my second mom – however you want to look at it) set them up. I think she did an awesome job and I’m glad she took charge of that because my practice setup didn’t turn out as great as her’s.

What’s this last picture you ask? Why I decided to re-purpose a couple of my favorite books as decoration in my living room. That’s my pup – doesn’t he have the sweetest face you’ve ever seen (or biggest nose from that angle…)? Oh and to bring this post all back around to “loving central PA” the top book is a Time-life book on Delaware, Maryland and PA. I can’t vouch for the info inside but isn’t the cover pretty ?

Lastly, I should mention the reason I decided to take this direction with the blog and post this was because of this Pinterest Challenge thunk up by Katie from All Bower Power and Sherry from Young House Love. They also recruited Emily Henderson and her friend Lana. So if you like this sort of design and decor post, you should check out their blogs. Also, if you appreciate witty well-written blogs, you should definitely check out All Bower Power and Young House Love, they are seriously hilarious and the only blogs I read everyday.