The dream child of three amazing women who individually have spent years and years in the beauty industry, Tu Belleza Studio gives women a place to come where walking in the door is a relaxing experience.  Claudia, Tiffany and Kim have created a truly unique environment where it feels more like you’re drinking wine in your best friend’s living room than having an appointment at a salon. Together, they share an artistry, passion and talent for bringing out the beauty in each woman that walks in their very warm and entreating studio.

You’ll be happy to know Tu Belleza carries  Cass Luxury Shapewear, Aveda, and Sebastian and an amazing array of accessories you won’t find anywhere else.

And here are the ladies of Tu Belleza: Tiffany Lahn (hair extension maven), Kim Lancashire (Eye Lash Extension Diva) and Claudia Seyler (a magician with hair and makeup)

And lucky us!  They are right across the Walk from us in our own little block of Liberties Walk.   We couldn’t be happier.   More and more and more, I’m really happy we moved here!

Amy Deputy (Amy Deputy Photography), the one-of-a-kind absolutely INCREDIBLE photographer at our Bethany Beach wedding in September set up a truly unique and super-fun photo booth — of sorts — in the corner of the reception tent.

I don’t want to give too much about the wedding away just yet — but I just had to show you these great photos of Kelly & Liam’s adventurous guests.

There was no way Amy was going to escape without getting a taste of her own medicine.  Rarely do you get to see the bride and photographer – but with these two, it’s not surprising at all!

And our very favorite photos of all are of the adorable, fun-loving couple that got married on that gorgeous day on the beach in Bethany!

Stay tuned for the photos of Kelly & Liam’s extraordinary wedding on the beach.    Stunning.   Truly.  You’ll soon see why Amy Deputy has been named one of the ten best wedding photographers in the United States by American PHOTO.

When we moved into our new home here on the Walk, we asked Two Paper Dolls to create our new business cards with the idea that they should reflect what was going on in our world.  The result was absolutely perfect.  We love them so much, we just had to share them with you!

Our die-cut business card has a silk finish which adds richness to the feel and look of the card.  The logo is foil-stamped in gold, which makes it leap off the card, as you can see.   One of my favorite elements of our old cards was that there were two rounded corners and two squared corners imitating the curves and points of our logo design (also created by the Dolls).   So I had to keep that for our new cards.

GOTTA LOVE THOSE DOLLS!!!

Succulents are a very interesting way to bring something unexpected and beautiful to your celebration

Here’s a little background on succulents for all of those who are not versed in these lovely plants.  Succulents (or “succose”, which is Latin for juice or sap) are water-storing plants that give a thickened or fleshy look to their leaves, stems and roots. These plants come from dry areas of the tropics and subtropic regions of the world.   They are a durable, low-maintenance and eco-friendly alternative to flower arrangements that you can beautifully and easily incorporate into your own wedding day or any other party you’re hosting!

Here’s the part you all really love — the pictures!

Photo by http://www.erinheartscourt.com/, (Succulentlove designs): http://succulentlovedesigns.com/

From Utterly Engaged

Photos by http://www.erinheartscourt.com/

Succy Stuff’s Etsy Store

Horticopia’s Etsy Store

Thanks to Beautiful Blooms!

How cute is this?!?!?!  From Style Me Pretty

From Utterly Engaged

Thanks to Beautiful Blooms!

Photo by: http://sukrachand.com/wedding/

Okay, I don’t really mean that.   Especially since we’re lucky enough to be a block away from Brown Betty — creators of the the best cupcakes in the entire world!   One could never burn out on their cupcakes!

BUT, if you want to see what alternatives there are to cupcakes — take a look at these amazing dessert delights (churros, croissants (chocolate and otherwise), brioche and eclairs) – if this doesn’t inspire you to think outside the cake pan, nothing will!

These stunning eclairs are from Fauchon - a chic French Patisserie from where you can order these gorgeous morsels.

If you’re having an event with a Latin flair – look at the amazing delights — they’re dessert churros from Xooro (pronounced Sure-oh) — so yum!

Then again, there’s Patisserie Claude in the West Village in New York (187 W. 4th St., near Barrow St.).  The desserts there are so good it’s hard to believe it’s really possible!  Croissants,  brioche – simple things done extraordinarily well.   It would be well worth a trip to NYC to grab enough for the most amazing brunch or rehearsal dinner, dinner parties  or any other smaller gathering.   Your guests will never forget you!

Today, our great friend Caroline Tiger featured our really beautiful monogrammed candles in the LifeStyle section of the Philadelphia Inquirer.   We LOVE these candles!

NY Daily News

Sylvia Weinstock is really one of a kind.  I just don’t think there’s another person on the planet quite like her.   Thirty years ago, she totally broke the mold of cake design resulting in cakes that reach the outer limits of the imagination of most of us.   She started this amazing cake trend —  all with buttercream — not a drop of fondant.  

Thanks to Rosemary, Donna O’Brien’s long-time friend from Manhattan who has worked with Sylvia in the past, Donna (of Beautiful Blooms fame) and I were invited up to Sylvia’s incredible cake studio where her masterpieces are created. Donna blogged about our incredible meeting and talked all about how just gorgeous everything was, and incredibly delicious. (Donna’s favorite filling was the apricot, but I’m still thinking about the caramel.  UnBelieveable. Her cakes are not only the most beautiful cakes you will ever see, they are to-die-for divine!)

I want to add that Sylvia spent a lot of time talking about the special events industry in general.   She’s been doing this incredible cake thing for over 30 years — long before cable television!   She has seen it all.   And with an infectious enthusiasm, she loves our industry every bit as much as she did thirty years ago when she started “this crazy thing.”  She even shared with us some of her preliminary sketches that she does for her clients; her sketches alone are incredible and it will never cease to amaze me that her works of art are created out of sugar. Just sugar.  Sigh.  

Now for pics.  I think, first I’d like to share Sylvia’s famous flowers.   She ducks credit and gives it all to her talented and dedicated team of artists who take pride in every single detail — look for yourself!

Here I am with Rosemary, getting every morsel of that incredible caramel filling from my fork

Finally, our last shot with Sylvia:

More news about Sylvia coming soon!!  Oh, and you should absolutely check out Sylvia’s book about her masterpiece cakes:  Sylvia Weinstock’s Sensational Cakes

This morning I got up ridiculously early to get to New York City to a meeting with Silvia Weinstock, the original phenom of masterpiece cakes (more on that later).   In addition to our  terrific meeting, Donna (from Beautiful Blooms) and I tripped throughout the Flower Market district in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.   

It was just amazing to walk through garden after garden of gorgeous flowers in the middle of the all the urban sounds of NYC.   I just Love New York!   Here are some pics of today’s field trip.

Here’s one of my favorites.  Almost every flower shop had it’s own adorable greeter.   I love this guy sitting in the pin cushions!

We’ll tell you more about what’s happening with Sylvia Weinstock these days and what we’ve got up our sleeve!!

I have no clue when it started, but I love paper flowers.  I was so happy when we finally got to use them in an an event design for our February Color Story (remember?)

Imagine my dolphin squeal when I found this kit on Etsy!   With instructions!   

I think these would be so much fun at a dinner party or a cocktail party.    I’m going to make a zillion of them!

We’ve been working on a few ideas lately, one of which is to bring you closer to some of the most beautiful and interesting  venues in and around Philadelphia. Eclatante has been honored to create celebrations in some absolutely amazing places.  We thought that people might enjoying seeing them because most people don’t even know they exist!   

First up is Bonnet Island.   I adore this place.  It is absolutely gorgeous and presents some of the most creative opportunities we’ve ever had.   Take a look at these photos taken by the brilliant Marie Labbancz. 

Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Blooms and I teamed up on all of these — the magic created was so much fun.  Two Paper Dolls did an incredible job of creating the absolutely PERFECT printed accents pieces.   GORGEOUS!!!

Another party at Bonnet Island:

Do you have time for one more?

Not only is Bonnet Island one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen for a ceremony and reception, the Estate also includes eleven drop-dead gorgeous guest suites and an incredible bridal suite that will take your breath away.  

So, that’s Bonnet Island Estate.   Let us know what you think!

For some reason, don’t ask me why, I get hung up on certain flowers for a period of time.   I do the same thing with colors or color combinations, and certain articles of clothing or even scents I want to be around. 

Today I realized that I LOVE blue delphiniums.   They’re just so pretty.   You’ll find them in an array of blues from sweet light blue to a deep rich color bordering on purple.    

They’re been around for some of the best events we’ve seen — see how pretty they can be?

Photo taken at Cairnwood by Marie Labbancz.   Beautiful Blooms executed a fabulous arrangement we designed for the inside of a fountain.

These lovely bouquets created by Beautiful Blooms were photographed by Tania Lezak at a wedding at the Avalon Yacht club.

And look at this amazing cuff made of delphiniums by Beautiful Blooms.  Simply gorgeous!

Okay, that’s it for today’s obsession!

Those of you who have  attended an Eclatante event knows that we know how to draw a crowd. 

Well the same holds true for our home on Liberties walk.  Our die-cut curtains have caught the attention of our entire neighborhood.  As the sole veil between the outside world and the Eclatante magic we can’t seem to shed the gawkers.  

We’d like to think it’s us, but let’s be honest, these curtains are astounding!  They are extremely unusual, chic and fun, but the strange part is that the people with their noses pressed against the window to our office gawking at these amazing curtains either don’t or can’t see past the curtain into our office.   We’re always shaking our heads about that!

Add this delightfully unexpected element to your home and it is sure to be a conversation (and compliment) starter.  Take it one step further and make it the center of attention at your next dinner party.  you can use a single panel as a room separator or screen.   Or here’s an idea — turn the curtain into a wide table runner (if you have a table wider than 42″).  Pair it with a gorgeous wood table and play up a nature theme or layer it over a brightly colored tablecloth for a little whimsy.  

Made of Tyvek (the same stuff the USPS priority and express mail envelopes are made of) these curtains are tear, temperature, and water resistant.  One side of the 42″ x 96″ curtain is white but you have the option of black, white, lilac or green for the other.  Hanging them is a breeze!  The little velcroed loops can slip right over a string of fishing line – no need for curtain rods!  Amazing!

Come down to the Eclatante boutique and stare for yourself!  Or, give us a call at 215.925.9911 and we can have them sent right over.  We just hope you are prepared for the onslaught of curious passersby.

I <HEART> <HEART> <HEART>  Broken Plate, a great little source for fun stuff I’ve discovered along the path of creating truly unique events for our clients.   

Someday, when i am snowed in at home for three days in a row and I have way too much time on my hands, I’m going to figure out which questions I hear most from couples as time draws nearer to their wedding.   Whatever else is on the list, I know that, up among the most-asked, would be the question about how to make the groomsmen attire, well, less dull.  

I’ve seen some pretty fun things get passed between grooms and their guys — and here’s of one my favorites:

I hear you wondering what could be so fun about cufflinks.   Here it is:  These are made from broken old plates.   While coordinating the ties of the groomsmen is a total must, this funky way of bringing in color and personality to the groom and groomsmen attire is really fun.   You can even purchase groomsmen packages to insure the overall look is constant, but then again, you and your guys may have something else in mind entirely!  

If you want to use your own plates, that’s cool, too.  Broken Plate will work with whatever you send them.   Otherwise, they’ll hunt down the perfect plates to use from vintage shops and thrift stores until they find just the right plates for your wedding.  Then they’ll smash them.  How fun is that?

Here in lovely Liberties Walk, it is not uncommon to spot a canine out for a stroll. In fact, dare I say, they are all the rage. TJ, Donna’s playful Bernese Mountain pup has even been known to make the occasional appearance in our boutique and we just love it when he does! 

As a testament to our doggie devotion we are always on the look out for a good home for Lumi, our stylish purebred Greyhound that majestically greets each visitor when they come into the boutique. Sitting 15” tall with her luminous Aluminum coat and bashful stance she’s a great addition to any home. Did I mention she’s well trained and hypoallergenic to boot? 

Please come by the Eclatante Boutique and visit her, I guarantee you’ll find her temperament to your liking. Or, if you already know she’s just right for you, give us a call at 215.925.9911 and we’ll have her sent right over! Not to worry, the UPS deliver guy adores her!

These delightful 14″ tapered candles are made locally in Trenton, New Jersey by Ana Candles. The extraordinarily rich stripe inlays, symmetry and finish of these beautiful candles make them truly unusual. Most of all, the array of color combinations is just flat out amazing. Their bright and classic palette is perfect for any season or special occasion, maintaining their appeal with continuous reflections of current color trends.

Made of premium quality paraffin, these beauties boast a burn time of 14 hours. Not only will they last through your most successful soiree, they keep post party cleanup to a minimum, as they are virtually smokeless and drip free. Each candle is a tribute to true craftsmanship and manufacturing ingenuity. Of course, we offer them to you at an affordably gorgeous price: $20 per striped pair and $14 per solid pair!

Come in to see them yourself at the Eclatante Boutique — or you can order them by calling us at 215.925.9911.