calicodaisy + destination wedding

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I may not get out of South Carolina much lately, but calicodaisy items are getting all sorts of invites to destination weddings lately!  Last week, monogrammed pillow covers and bridal accessories made it to the Bahamas for a wedding week of fun!  Incidentally, that's where I met my husband, but that's another story. 

The event coordinator for this island destination wedding came up with the "wiggle" design for the oversized lumbar pillow covers at the top of the post.  Natural linen and shades of blue, very soothing.  The lumbar pillows were created for a seating area on a boat. 
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The monogrammed pillow covers were designed in shades of navy and tan, and then a number of accessories were ordered to show up as treats in the new couples' suite each day.  Towels, tote, bridal shoe / lingerie bag. 
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This is the third wedding pack of items created for spring wedding decor this season.  One more set of lovelies in navy and coral were sent out last week for another destination setting - can't reveal until June!  Navy must be the current wedding color trend.  My stash of navy twill and navy embroidery thread has dwindled fast this month. 
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Planning custom designed, home dec and accessory items themed for the wedding and reception is so smart really as the items serve a dual purpose:  They augment the wedding theme and then go home with the couple or serve as gifts to friends and family who helped with the wedding as a long lasting and useful memory of the special day! 

Fresh

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Fresh, client-driven designs are showing up in the calicodaisy studio and shop.  Recently, I read the color green is in this season, and, sure enough, two client requests came in for fresh greens this month.  One set of monogrammed lumbar pillow covers bound and embroidered in a lovely shade of grass green shipped out for two little boys' shared room.  Their stylish mom wanted this Garden font "as big as you can fit."  Looks just great.  You can find a listing here:  Large Font Monogrammed Lumbar Pillow Cover.      
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While pinning earlier today, I noted fabulous leather foldover clutches, $158.00.  I thought, of course, "I can make those (in cotton and home-dec fabrics) and monogram them for far less than $158."  Here is my prototype mockup edited out on PicMonkey.  So sad Picnik is gone now.  I understand it went over to Google+, but I don't know enough about G+ to follow yet.  PicMonkey is very similar to Picnik, so I'm can edit, thank goodness, and I like the fonts offered. 

Anyway, monogrammed, design-your-own foldover clutches at calicodaisy etsy.  I haven't made one yet, and I'm hoping the mockup graphic will spark a clever girl's imagination to make the first sale so I don't have to make a sample bag.  Time is so precious right now that everything sewn must have a purpose!  Wouldn't these be great for a bridesmaid gift pack? 

Three Ripe Bananas

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So, after the Banana Pudding Pie extravaganza Friday, I had three very ripe bananas left that were crying because they missed out on the creamalicious party.  Something had to be done.  Luckily, I came across the following recipe that required Three Ripe Bananas making one simple loaf.  Done!  Well, with one most important addition.  I might have gone Banana Pudding Pie sans chocolat on Friday to follow the recipe just right, but that wasn't going to happen in the next baking event.  I tossed about 2/3 cup of chocolate chips in some flour, shook them off, and added to the batter just before panning.  Perfection!  -- But I'm done with bananas for a while now. 

3-Banana Banana Bread Recipe 
(Banana Bread Recipe from Simply Recipes)

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Yield: Makes one loaf.

Pinning and Making

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Oh, I'm loving my daily dose of Pinterest. My own little customized virtual magazine bringing me lovely photos and new ideas of my favorite pastimes.  It helps on the homefront, too.  In our endeavors to revamp the family room, I can show my husband what I'm talking about rather than trying to just explain it to him again. 

On the other hand, all that pinning and no action becomes just another bunch of great ideas piled one on top of the other, and last week's brilliant find gets pushed out of the memory to let in the new one. 

However, every so often something pins across my eyes, and I must get on with the making.   So, with a new personal challenge pin board to remember and share a recent "brilliant find" and to prove that it does work and/or actually tastes good, I begin. 

In the pie-love department, my first entry is Banana Pudding Pie as spelled out by the blog Lick The Bowl Good.  Despite there not being one iota of chocolate involved, this tastes like a dream!  Homemade vanilla pudding - so, so easy - made yesterday, and the pie assembled today.  Due to my lactose-intolerant, wheat-intolerant family, no one here other than me may fully partake, though my husband did suffer a few bites.  Thus, I saved out a couple of pieces and brought the rest to a friend.  Ah, well, I have the photos to remember and one more piece of pie to enjoy before bed tonight!