A garden party farewell
Saying goodbye to a coworker is never easy, so when a team member recently announced she would be moving away, I knew I wanted to help send her off in Farmhouse style. With spring in the air and the flowers and trees in the yard starting to bloom, the idea of a garden party theme was inspiring.
With the help of Paperless Post, I was able to create the beautiful invitation that set the tone and colors for the rest of the party.
I had lots of fun in the weeks before the party preparing all my ideas (and I also tried to repurpose leftover decor from the wedding as much as I could)! With florals as the theme, I headed off to a farmer's market the day before the party, and basically filled my car with a diverse selection of brightly-colored flowers. I also visited a nursery, where I picked up some freshly-potted plants to add a different floral texture to the table presentation.
The long table was decorated with a centerpiece of vibrant sweet peas in a window box, and dotted amidst an organza runner were tiny mason jars filled with fresh dirt and tufts of green grass. The chairs were accented with white bows, calling back to a detail that I loved from my wedding.
At each guest's place was a miniature succulent from The Succulent Source. I also had a collection of little clay flowerpots and decorating supplies, including gold leaf paint, metal studs, glitter, pearls and mod podge glue. After we ate, guests headed over to a decorating table where they painted custom pots as new homes for their succulents.
As a memento for the guest of honor to take home with her, Johnny helped me to put together a beautiful and totally unique plaque for her friends and coworkers to sign. I bought the wooden "D" and the backing board from Michaels. Johnny spraypainted them for me and glued them together, and guests signed their farewell wishes on the finished product with metallic-toned paint pens.
It was such a fun afternoon getting to spend time with friends, coworkers and their loved ones, surrounded by flowers on a bright spring day. We will miss our coworker, but we made memories that will be held onto for a long time to come!
