Germany or Bust!

World travel sounds fun and glamorous until it's your 18-year old daughter who's  "bustin' it" for another country!  As our firstborn prepared to depart for a 7 +month stint abroad with a national mission organization, we wanted to celebrate this milestone with a going away party for friends and family....and the distraction of planning a large gathering of people I love, to celebrate the daughter I love, was much like therapy as I anticipated her dreaded departure.   Admittedly, there is a bit of added pressure when you make a living planning parties for others and you are having one of your own, but there are also many added benefits.  One of the obvious benefits of running a vintage rental business is that there are all kinds of cool props and party aids to choose from when planning your own personal celebrations, so after sending out the e-vites, my mind jumped to putting some of our fun rentals to use in my own backyard.

First and foremost on the list of must-haves was our vintage airstream photo booth.  The silver bullet made a fun backdrop for all kinds of travel memorabilia, as well as a semi-private place for small groups of folks at a very large party to gather for a quiet place to talk or better yet, for a fun group picture.  Also on the list of the must-haves were our gigantic movie reels, which made the perfect place to display pictures of our daughter at all of the ages and stages of her growing up, and of course many of the photos contained shots of the guests who would be at the party.

Our large crystal drink dispensers would allow our guests to serve themselves a beverage of choice, and since each holds 3 gallons, the attractive dispensers would also save me a lot of scurrying around trying to keep glasses filled.  With the beverages taken care of ahead of time, I would be free to greet our guests at the banana split bar....

Although one can set the stage for the perfect party, one can't control the weather, and to my dismay, a summer evening storm sent over a hundred and fifty people scurrying for cover.  Ice cream, nuts , and even the cherries on top were forgotten as I rushed outside to help gather the vintage table linens and centerpiece globes from the yard.  I did (for a split second anyway) wonder where my 5 year old had  found shelter in the midst of the thunder and lightning, only to later have him knock on his own front door as basically the last "guest" to attempt to come inside.  When I asked him how in the world he had gotten so wet, he gleefully explained that he had been riding around in our neighbor's golf cart right in the middle of the storm.  When I asked through a grimace who else was with him on this 4-wheeled death trap, he said  that his co-passengers had been his 8-year old cousin and our 9-year old neighbor.  Hey, atleast it was the 9-year old who was driving!........... ( Call social services if you must, but no party host can be on top of everything.)

The highlight of the night for me was when my Great-aunt Frances, one of our guests, told me in the middle of all the running around that I "was looking so good....just like one of the teenagers."  What made this so funny was that just 5 minutes before making this comment, this same dear aunt had told me that she could hardly see a thing due to cataracts in her eyes that she was hoping to soon have removed.  Her comment assured me that she needs that cataract surgery sooner rather than later!

What's a filigree, anyway?

It may not surprise you to learn that we're often asked about the renaissance of our company's name...often someone states with a quizzical look "Exactly what is filigree, anyway?" One refined gentleman, and former mayor I might add, even asked my partner if she was drunk when she came up with it. Although he asked the question with a smile on his face, I don't think it could be received as a compliment...but we weren't at all deterred. We both love the name of our company and wouldn't change it even if the President of the good 'ole U.S.of A. implied that we should!


We planned an event recently that epitomizes the heart behind our business. " Farm" and "Filigree" meshed at the Cedar Grove Ruritan Club in the booming metropolis of.... (you guessed it!) ....Cedar Grove to create a one-of -a-kind celebration for a dear couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The cinder-block walled building was transformed with 150 hanging paper lanterns in tiffany blue and gold, since gold is synonymous with any 50th wedding celebration.


Manzanita tree centerpieces in silver ice buckets and pedastal bowls with flowers adorning their bases highlighted each table, but most enjoyed by guests were the sepia-toned photos of the special couple from the time they were barefooted children in overalls to their grandparent days that hung from the branches of the trees.

Larger photos of the couple adorned the walls, including one of the bride in her wedding gown which hung directly beside the hand-stiched dress itself ,
displayed on a vintage dress form.




The larger manzanita wishing tree in the corner of the room provided a spot for guests to hang their personal well-wishes for the couple of honor before preparing their own take-home box of old-fashioned blue and gold candies displayed in elegant apothecary jars at the candy buffet. Rock candy on wooden sticks never looked so high class!


Elegance doesn't have to be stuffy and down-home doesn't mean tasteless. "Farm" and "Filigree" can overlap and entertwine like a man and woman who have learned to love and last after 50 years together, being more complete and refined when joined than either ever was apart!