Styling: Jami Leavitt Photography, Wedding Show Booth

Jami Leavitt is a Tulsa based photographer. You may have heard her name before, not only is she one of the most popular photographers at Weddings of Tulsa, but she took the casual portraits of me as well as the Christmas still life pics that are on this blog...she contacted me and said, "Why don't you let me take your picture? I mean, you have a life style blog about you and your house, and you don't have any pictures of you or your house on it, right?" Right. And she exceeded my expectations for the photographs that she took of me for Commona-my House.  She specializes in weddings.  She is amazingly creative and she's a doll.

Jami approached me about helping her put together her booth for a HUGE Wedding/Bridal Show that was happening at an arena in the Tulsa area a couple of weekends ago. She had an idea of what she wanted to do, but needed a partner in crime, if you will, to help her pull it all off.  So, I signed on as her stylist/creative consultant/the-person-lifting-the-other-end-of-the-table, and we had about 3 weeks to get things figured out and a small but reasonable budget to work from.

So, obviously, I'm not sharing this for just 'would-be' photographers and their wedding show booths, I'm sharing it with you to show you that whatever your design project may be, a living room, a bedroom, a party reception...and yes, a photography booth, you can achieve your look by following this step by step approach.

STEP 1:  INSPIRATION WILL GIVE DIRECTION
Jami and I discussed a few things over the phone and then met together, and started pinning ideas of things that would be our "inspiration" pieces {in order to get a feel for a style, color scheme, direction}. Jami kept in mind the feel and colors that she has in her logo {see above}.

Cream, Yellow and Gray bouquet = Lovely

Sweet cream and embelished discs dress= Feminine, quirky  layers.

Gold, gray, yellow, burlap, geo designs= CLASSIC

Rustic headboard, mustard, gray accents and  again
with the reflective circles {chandelier}= clean rustic

Step 2: Gather core elements 
To create a sort of living room area, we gathered items from a thrift store shopping trip and what we both have in our homes in order to recreate the Rustic Feminine Vintage {Gray, Cream and Mustard} look Jami had decided on.  In this stage it's pretty important to get the main pieces/elements bolted down. If you have to make any changes to your design scheme due to not being able to find things and substitutions, then that will dictate which direction you go in. For example, we were able to use a few of my own pieces, which dictated a more rustic, vintage look, so that is the direction that we headed in. BEWARE: just because we settled on gray, cream and yellow color scheme doesn't mean that anything gray, cream or yellow would work...lots of people make this mistake in decorating...oh my colors are turquoise and rust, so anything that is turquoise and rust will work...not so. Just because something is 'the right color' doesn't mean that it is THE RIGHT STYLE. Keep that in mind, just saying.

Gray chair, similar to one I have in my home that she could use for the day.

Vintage window, purchased from thrift store. 

Rustic {enormous} coffee table I have and will lend for the day.

Tolix chairs, to break up the woods and painted pieces , but still keep vibe Vintage.
Mine that she could use for the day.

Simple cake stand works with WEDDING SHOW THEME,
for displaying her business cards.

Gray buffett/sofa table, purchased from Thrift Store.

Vintage cart in gray or cream= another functional vintage element,
useful for sign in, business cards, etc. 

Fresh yellow flowers= pop of freshness and color

Vintage Camera = Perfect Prop

Step 3: Create
Jami needed a backdrop.  The wedding show organizers had offered to provide black sheeting to hang from rods for a $25 fee, but Jami had her own 9' high rods, and decided to go for it with a feminine fabric backdrop.

We both fell in love with the idea of hanging torn strips of muslin to the rods and adding a layer of gold paper dots over the muslin. Muslin was marked down to $2 per yard and the space was 9' high,  10' wide, so she purchased  9 yards of muslin, knowing that the affect would spread the strips out a bit. And she spent less than what her alternative black fabric rental would have been at $25.

We thought there needed to be a design element on the floor. This would add a pop of pattern and color, as well as lead people into walking around the booth, getting up close to Jami's photography. Rugs were pretty much out of the budget, so I came up with a MAT option to achieve the look of a rug.

The result:

The day before the big day came! We got to get in to set up the space for a few hours the night before the wedding show and we had so much fun putting our layers together in order to achieve the look that Jami had wanted. We made the decision not to hang the gold circles with the muslin strips because it was just too busy with the other accessories going on. If we had cut back on accessories then the gold circles would have been fabulous...but just like with accessorizing an outfit, sometimes you have to choose one or the other.
Obviously, we wanted Jami's photography to stand out, and be the main attraction at her booth, but by creating a warm, friendly area, we invited potential clients in to meet Jami and feel her creative vibe, getting to know her through the space that represented her at the show.

For more on my DIY Mat, click here!

Jami, center, with her two assistants, during the wedding show.

And we had a fantastic time...she was Lucy, I was Ethel...or maybe we were Laverne and Shirley, either way, we achieved the look she was going for and it was a successful show for her, helping her continue to build her presence here in Tulsa and make her mark in the wedding photography market.

XXXOOO.

DIY Canvas "Wipe Clean" floor mat

I had the pleasure of working with Jami Leavitt, from Jami Leavitt Photography, on a booth for a Wedding Show a few weekends ago. {I'll be posting pics from that very fun experience tomorrow}.

One of the components to her booth that we wanted to have was a geometric yellow and cream rug...but a rug was both out of the budget and not practical...thousands of people {potentially} would be walking on this rug and who knows what kind of shape it would be when the show was over with.

I immediately thought of making a mat.
When I was a young mother of my first child, my husband was in the military in flight school and I didn't have a lot of spending money to play around with because we were on a tight budget. Being without means to shop and just go get supplies that I needed whenever I had a design idea, it forced me to find ways to get creative with things that I either already had, or things that I could find for little or no money.
Our son was just at the age of starting to really enjoy eating in his high-chair, and boy, did he make a mess. The first time he had watermelon, I knew I had to come up with something {other than a towel} to put underneath the high-chair to save myself from mopping the floor every night.

I came up with a "splat mat" made from:

- $12 canvas {or a canvas drop cloth available at Walmart or any Lowes, Home Depot or Hardware store}
-craft paint or house paint that you have {little craft paint bottles are typically around $1
-Paint brush, the width of the line you'd like to make if you are painting lines, or if larger shapes, just any brush you have will do
-and a stencil or painter's tape {make your own stencil with cardboard or by using the tape to make your design
-Modge Podge {or home made Modge Podge Gluish stuff}
-foam brushes for Modge Podge application

YUP. Cheap. That splat mat saved me so much effort, instead of mopping the floor each day, I just wiped up the mat. Whatever was spilled on it would wipe right up.
I made my son's by using painter's tape to make rows of diamonds making a sort of harlequin pattern. You don't NEED a stencil, although they're easy to make.

Harlequin Pattern,

And 14 years later, now, it was the best solution to get Jami's rug look for her booth. 

Here's how I made it:

Step 1: I started with a canvas painter's drop cloth from Lowe's {appx $12}.  You can find these in the painting section of any hardware store. Cut to size and tape or sew raw edges if needed.

Step 2: What's your design? I used this stencil from another post that I did a couple of weeks ago.  I printed the stencil, sprayed a piece of light cardboard with spray adhesive, put the printed stencil paper on top, waited a few seconds and began to cut the stencil out. SO SIMPLE. And saved me a lot of tracing up front. Which you will be doing in your sleep after you are done with this project.

Canvas Drop Cloth, Spray Adhesive, DIY stencil and scissors :)

Step 3: Prep.  Put newspaper, old paper bags, etc. down on the floor, even if you are doing this in your garage. The canvas will soak up most of your paint, but you could have seepage, so you want to make sure you protect your floors from paint.  Then, measure and tape off a border area if you want one. Turn on some good music. You can also measure your stencil to precisely position the design, or you can wing it like I did...to me, that's the fun of creating...but I know you quilting types out there will measure.

Measuring border, taping off and tracing stencil.

Step 4: Go ahead and start tracing your template in pencil. Keep in mind the color that you are going to be painting with. I used a regular pencil and was on the fence about using yellow or gray paint...I opted for the yellow and I'm glad I did, but you can see the gray pencil lines through the paint. I thought it looked cool, and I left it as is. BUT, if you aren't going for this sort of painterly look, you'll want to either use a colored pencil similar to the color paint you are using, or choose a darker paint than the pencil.  Comprende?

Taped off border, traced stencil with pencil, chose a brush the thickness of my lines and jumped right in.

Step 5: Paint. As I mentioned above, if you use a geometric pattern with lines, you'll have better results and avoid "touching up" if you choose a paint brush that is the thickness of your desired line.

Did I mention it was like 28 degrees the night I chose to do this in my garage?
My finger tips are red...and cold.

But it was sooo worth it.

Right about now, I was listening to the "Jason Mraz" Pandora station. Check it out....Jack Johnson, Tristan Prettyman..it was keeping me in a So Cal mood while I was inch by inch, row by row, getting my Quatrefoil on.

Step 6: After it is completely dry, I'd suggest you protect it with at least one coat of Modge Podge. If you have a foam roller or foam brush, just dab it on. Modge Podge is the non-toxic way to seal it, creating a protective barrier, that can be wiped clean. It will leave a sort of shiny finish and you can do 2 coats for added protection and stiffness.

I didn't trust the 4 kids, dog...so I hung it to dry instead of leaving it sitting in the garage.

You know, I can seriously think of a million different projects you could use this technique for.  Splat mat underneath a highchair, table cloth, or curtains anyone? Just no need to Modge Podge, but you could follow all the earlier steps to stencil your own DIY curtains.

Hope this gives you something to think about! And maybe, it doesn't matter whether you have $ to spend or not, you'll find that making things that are useful and inexpensive is the way to go anyway? Especially in areas where rugs aren't practical to use but you want color and floor protection.
And that's the DIY mat.
XXXOOO.

Downton Season 3, Episode 4: Carry On.

SPOIL-ER. Come back when you've seen the episode.
But make sure you all either come back or read all the way to the bottom of this post,
because I have a freebie to give you that will make you all lift your chin up and feel a little better.Think of it as  me passing the tissue to you, my friend.


I can't stop crying. And it's an ugly cry. The best and worst, most incredibly acted and well written death scene and after shock that I've seen in a long time, maybe not since when sweet Beth dies in Little Women {classic, Louisa May Alcott}. Or when we think Marianne Dashwood {my alter ego...I may have to write a post about that} in Sense and Sensibility is near death and you aren't sure if she's going to pull out of it or not.  This was an unbelievable scene that was gripping and so real, without gore or showing blood, btw.
The terror in their eyes was so real to me. And Dr. Clarkson, you had me at 'pre-eclampsia'. And oh, Dowager Granny...what a beautiful and touching bit of acting from Dame Maggie Smith...her lines were so moving and wise, and then there was the scene when she is walking through the halls of her old home looking oh so much like her age has caught up to her with the weight of this tragedy...oh, I must wip out one of my favorite quotes:

"Grief is the price we pay for love". ~Queen Elisabeth II

OK..so besides major plot points...these are the things I LOVED about this episode:
Tufted upholstered headboards:
Every style...from ornate to stream lined...it's an upscale hotel look that works well with any decor.

Fancy Shmancy Bathrobes:
Oh why, oh why do I wear plaid flannel and sweat pants to bed? Do I think anything could be more comfortable than dreamy silk? I'm bringing back feminine, silky, loveliness, even if it is really just for my own 'I'd like to feel special' reasons. Wouldn't we all feel a little more lovely in a pretty nightgown and bathrobe? I mean "dressing gown"?

There is an amazing British Lingerie maker, Lucille, that was producing ladies' garments back in the day. A family member has revived the brand and is producing these stunning versions for purchase today. You may have to sell your car to buy one though.

Lucille's "Duches of Warwick" gown

 

Now I don't know if I could wear this making PB&J's for the kids lunches each morning... 

but aren't they gorgeous? 

Jenny Packham...my favorite option, but alas..not in budget

or this

but

I'd settle for

Layla Grace, $83

or 

Amazon, $39

Carry On: 
And, getting back to the root of last night's Downton...let me just say, that the British "stiff upper lip" is exemplified in dear Carson. So, "Carry On".
It isn't flippant. It isn't unemotional and insensitive. With saying "Carry On" it means almost that we owe it to those that we've lost to pick up and very painfully continue to live and love in dignity, despite the tragedies that life brings.

So click and download these printables..There are so many versions out there, just about one for every mood, hobby and color choice. But here is the original phrase.

{In the Spring of 1939, with war against Germany all but inevitable, the British Government’s Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters to be distributed throughout the country at the onset of hostilities. … The posters were intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.

The intent of the poster was to convey a message from the King {King George VI) to his people, to assure them that ‘all necessary measures to defend the nation were being taken’, and to stress an ‘attitude of mind’ rather than a specific aim.

At the end of August 1939 three designs went into production… The first poster, of which over a million were printed, carried a slogan suggested by a civil servant named Waterfield. Using the crowns of George VI as the only graphic device, the stark red and white poster read ‘Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory’. … The third design, of which over 2.5 million posters were printed, simply read ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’.

… The ‘Keep Calm’ posters were held in reserve, intended for use only in times of crisis or invasion. Although some may have found there way onto Government office walls, the poster was never officially issued and so remained virtually unseen by the public – unseen, that is, until a copy turned up more than fifty years later (2001) in a box of dusty old books bought in auction. }

Or you could always:

XXXOOO.

P.S. Don't forget to enter the January Give Away daily!!! Winner will be announced this FRIDAY!!!

Click here for giveaway!