HAND PAINTED GARLAND IS ON TREND FOR HOME DECOR

Hand painted garland is trending in home decor and party styling for Lifted Balloons' clients this year.

Tissue tassels hand painted with gold metallics, or mixed metallics, seem to be flying out of the studio!

I love this home decor trend for so many reasons. Here is a list, in no particular order. It's visual impact is beautiful-soft, airy, and light. It's festive and cheerful, even in the most serious dramatic color palettes.

Garland is versatile. By simply adding a custom hand made garland in your accent colors, you can change the entire look of a room, without much effort or expense. They could not be easier to hang! Indoors, one only needs a couple of clear command hooks and a slip knot on each end of the garland. That's it. Slip those knots over the hooks, finesse the fringe and you're done! They are simple to hang, to move and even to restyle. Our Lifted Balloon's custom garland is inexpensive. When you consider the spacial impact of one garland in the expanse of a focal wall/or interior space, compared to most design elements, it's pretty amazing. AND, no need to poke holes in your walls!

This above photo just blew me away! Actually, this was my first client to ever request custom garland that wasn't attached to a giant, luxury balloon! It's the perfect example of the versatility of Lifted Balloons offerings. She ordered the garland for her niece's bridal shower and used one to trim the dessert bar and one to party style the drink station. I suggested that when she had recovered from the celebrating, thinking it could be several days, that she should see how pretty the custom garland looked on the fireplace mantel. Within an hour or two, she sent me this GORGEOUS picture! As far as I know, it may still be there!

I have several styling ideas that excite me.

Custom garland gives presence to a beautiful desk, like in the charming Lace & Bustle bridal salon in Lafayette, CA. It creates atmosphere for a lovely bridal in-store event!

Another fun way to use festive garland is as valance over windows.

I love the sound and the airy look of them when a breeze brushes through the tassels.

The fringe moves with the breeze like leaves on a tree and they make the most beautiful soft, wispy sounds. As previously mentioned, above a bed is wonderful interior application. It can be dramatic, romantic, sexy and/or all of the above. Especially when treated with sheer, dazzling fabrics. It's still lightweight and where I live, in California earthquake country, having a garland drop on me as opposed to a heavy mirror or art piece seems like the smartest decorating choice. 

A custom garland hovering over the dinner table will make every meal feel like a special occasion.

I absolutely love it

Although this photo features a custom garland hanging above a handsome dining table for an intimate birthday brunch, I love the idea as a permanent styling idea. Why not? If you have a rustic beam like this, a lower ceiling or you just want to add some visual interest, then this is a fantastic idea. I absolutely love it. 

 

Calli asked me to make her some hand painted custom garland for her seventeenth birthday.

I was so flattered of course that I made her two!

Here I taped the string to an embroidery hoop to mimmic the look of a pendant light fixture. I thought that in our tiny little kitchen with about 15 of her close friends that a giant, luxury balloon would be a bit much. I also didn't want 15 teenagers fighting over the helium. For a fun alternative I thought the custom garland as a make shift light fixture would be super fun and girly. Everyone loved it and I just added some extra touches to the party like mini pearl balloons and scattered photos & flowers. The lamp inspired me to consider actual light fixture decor, baby mobiles and small 70's inspired pieces. You'll have to track with me and see what we come up with! 

Veteran's Day Giant, Royal-Blue, Luxury Balloon

A giant, royal blue, luxury balloon hit the mark for a glorious Veteran's Day Assembly.

What an honor! I was asked to create a balloon for a special school assembly hosted by Berean Christian High School. My client fashioned a beautiful hospitality table with breakfast treats and coffee. She wanted a Lifted Balloon- giant, luxury balloon to lavish the veterans with praise and honor. It was my joy to participate. I cried during the whole assembly and marveled at the amazing quilts presented to the brave men who received them. 

As mentioned, we decided that a giant, royal blue, luxury balloon would coordinate the best in the school gym that is painted blue and gold. For the tassels on the custom, hand painted tissue tail/garland, I chose to let the bright red tissue shine, threading in a little creamy white and royal blue. To showcase this custom garland I went heavy handed with the gold metallic fringe! It really was spectacular as it spun softly under the spot lights of the assembly.

It's very important when custom ordering a giant balloon, and selecting a color palette that you consider thoughtfully the space and room decor that it will live in. For patriotic party ideas red sometimes needs only to be an energetic accent color, especially in a busy background like the one in this gymnasium. When we say " elevate the atmosphere ", this is what we're talking about right here!

The giant, royal blue, luxury balloon hovers like fireworks above a sweet spread.

This blog post would be amiss without a photo of the guests enjoying the yummy treats that are showcased under this fantastic giant balloon in red, white and blue. It is hovering about the sweets and treats like a burst of fireworks! If you are looking for patriotic party ideas then look no further. Lifted Balloons are a party decor gift for Fourth of July parties, Memorial Day presentations, Veteran's Day assemblies, summer picnics, and parades. 

A Luxury Balloon for a Golden Anniversary

It only takes one luxury balloon with a custom hand painted tail to elevate the atmosphere of a golden anniversary! One giant balloon in gold and the custom tail/garland was one of my most loved tail creations to date. Lynn and Wally are a beautiful, gracious, and engaging YOUNG couple! You would not believe that this was a 50th wedding anniversary party. 

gorgeous family waits the arrival of the guests of honor

The whole time I worked on thier balloon I marveled at the power and story that this marriage tells. Fifty years of saying "I do!" and also being more in love than ever is beyond impressive and worthy of taking notice. I wanted this balloon to be pure golden magic!

wired gold decorator ribbon transformed into tasseled gold chain jewels

I was able to create gold tassels that dazzled like jewelry! It was anchored to a centerpiece on the table, nestled between a bottle of champagne and a magnum from their personal cellar. Their kids enlarged black & white photos from their wedding day and mounted them on the rustic walls of an intimate private room at Postino. It was stunning! 

In party styling, I'm a firm believer that less-is-more! Choosing a few elements and giving them room to breath will make an impact that is extremely effective and remembered. Who will forget those photos that transport you back to the wedding day in 1960's fashion icon style?! You don't need decorations everywhere your eyes land. Also, one of the reasons to celebrate in a restaurant is for ease and these decorations were easy and quick!. Elegance and sophistication requires much so much less than people think, but planning is crucial. Those lovely photos had to be ordered, but for installation only required a few pieces of double sided mounting tape. The luxury balloon was delivered. This family decorated with perfection! One giant, luxury balloon dripping in gold, a few enlarged photos that fill the space, close family and exquisite food. That's it! The gorgeous couple loved their golden anniversary celebration! I received a text that evening: My dad can't stop talking about the balloon. He keeps saying:  " 'Well, the balloon is spectacular! It really makes the party!' " 

Less is more! One luxury balloon, three perfectly placed nostalgic photos- a perfect recipe!  

Graduation Party Balloons

My sassy and niece chose her graduation party balloons to elevate the atmosphere of her grad/ send off party. Leaving in a few weeks to attend Chico State, she chose red and black, bold Wildcat colors.

close up of the tassels

So my niece saw this chevron striped tassel on balloon design I had posted on Instagram and requested I use it for her custom graduation balloon tail/garland. I loved her vision! Please follow @lifted_balloons on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. You will see designs that are not available on the website, because the textiles are a limited run or even one-of-a-kind! Every order is custom, so if you don't see it on the website, please ASK! 

a nod to pom-poms

For example, these balls of yarn make these balloons one-of-a-kind! Most of my balloons have hand painted gold metallic tails and reflective ribbons, but due to the bold graphics of the Chevron stripes I l chose sweet and simple, allowing the loud color story to stand alone. I found these balls of yarn and they reminded me of pom-poms. Sophia is a cheerleader so I had to use pom-pom embellishment!

enjoying the balloons in the beautiful light before heading out

There were two balloons for the party, one red and one jet black. It was a simple juxtaposition. We all loved how they turned out. 

loved her memory table idea

Helium expands in the heat. It was a sizzling summer day so we decided to plant the balloons in the cool indoors. Here we flanked a sweet memory table. A great party idea Sophia used was the Memory Jar. Next to the jar she had square sheets of paper and a pen for guests to write a memory, blessing or wish for Sophia and then they dropped it in the jar. Those cards will be a joy for her to read and reflect on forever! I love simple, meaningful party ideas that also double as easy party decor! This graduation party tip can be used for birthdays, wedding showers, farewell parties, and even anniversaries.

As a balloon stylist I love offering balloon tail/garlands with adjustable tassels. This is great for Sophia because I know she will use the tails as garland for her dorm decor or for a sorority event. Since she had two balloon tails/ garland, I wanted to give her the option of combining them into one fuller garland. Adjustable they just slide off the ribbon and thread right on to another easily. My niece is super creative and I can't wait to see how she incorporates them into her new space! 

well, hello there! 

Thankfully it did cool down enough to bring them outside. I tied them to chairs and let them sway in the breeze. 

the afternoon heat relaxed into a perfect summer evening

Later the breeze picked up so I moved this one to the bar area where they could shimmy freely without being too interactive.

It was a lovely party with street tacos, a Polaroid photo area, outside games, photo journey of Sophia's life and lots of anticipation for the adventures ahead in this new season for everyone!

sophia, isabella, damon and dawn

CONGRATULATIONS SOPHIA! 

LIFTED BALLOONS GRAND OPENING

Today is the day that Lifted Balloons is officially OPEN! Please come in and browse our luxury balloons with hand painted tails/garland and explore how we can help you elevate the atmosphere of your next special event! I am absolutely inflated with joy! The website is now open, this blog is up, a facebook page is happening and you can find us on Pinterest. People have been asking how they can get a Lifted Balloon and now it's easy! You can shop for your custom luxury balloon at liftedballoons.com, watch for new products, see what we've been up to, be inspired for your next celebration and also SHARE with friends! Also, you can sign up to receive the Lifted Balloon newsletter for exclusive invitations, promotions, and special announcements.

So thank you for celebrating with me today! I am so excited to share Lifted Balloons with you and equally thrilled to thank a few people! 

First I must lavish some praise on the lovely Kim Saquing of Passion Project|HQ for designing and building my branding, website, business cards and much, much more. If you are starting a business or rebranding a current one then call her. She is fabulous! She completely understood my vision! In addition, she was easy to work with, fast, focused, and understood ME! 

 Also, I thank my family for being such rockstar fans, supporters and marketers for Lifted Balloons. I also want to thank my committed friends (you know who you are) who Believe and stood by me in all my creative endeavors which led up to this. You are the love in "lifted"! 

Giant Balloons for a First Birthday Party

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY INSPIRATION

The smile says it all! 

Jessica saw one of my luxury balloons on Instagram and thought it would be perfect party style idea for her baby's first birthday. Pretty pink was the balloon color and I began creating a custom hand painted tail just right for the sweet and spunky Eloise.

Eloise was in LA, so I packed it with great care as I didn't want a single strand to get crumpled en route. Jessica received it in perfect shape! She had a local party store fill the balloon with helium, and attach the custom tail/garland per my instructions.

Jessica is a very busy lady. She is the founder of Beauty Arise, a movement that now has offices in 6 countries, empowering women with the message of beauty, identity and value. She travels all over the world with her husband and baby and needed a party that was over the top in fun and easy to pull together. She chose a simple pool party and this party idea is BRILLIANT! Everyone could swim with Eloise in the beautiful pool, and decorations could be minimal. The only decoration needed was one giant Lifted Balloon that was easy to see, set the tone and could easily be moved when time to go home. One giant, pretty pink balloon is able to elevate the atmosphere, even outside at a simple, casual pool party.

Eloise seems thrilled with it too!

Happy 1st Birthday Miss Eloise! 

Giant Balloon tea PARTY

A giant balloon in raspberry pink for a little girls birthday party. If you are looking for birthday party inspiration, then stop the search because this seven year old is serving up a very pretty Pink Puppy Tea Party! Whoa! Can you think of anything more fun?! 

 What thrills me about this party as a stylist, although I did not style this one, is that it was simple! Mom and Grandma are both creative and talented women that know “less is more!” We often shop magazines and social media for inspiration when throwing a party. I see so many images of parties because I’m in the business and I find many of them exhausting to look at. One or two creative ideas are enough! Design with hospitality as the focal point and don’t overwhelm guests with too much to look at or do. 

This smart mom let her birthday girl, Vivi, decide the theme. Since the Vivi loves dogs and a good spot of tea, they had a tea party and invited guests to bring a stuffed puppy with them. A few special treats, a few things to do, and plenty of time to play! Perfection!

I enjoyed bringing Lifted Balloons to the party. I styled the custom tail in rose and raspberry pinks, with gold sparkle ribbon, hand painted metallics and youthful joy. I always walk into a wall of smiles when I’m delivering a balloon! One is always enough for a home party! It can be moved to different activities, guests can pose with it, it’s a fabulous conversation piece and when the party is over the tail transforms into festive wall décor! That's a great party idea!

Giant balloons and art!

Lifted Balloons, three to be exact, were the only party décor. Giant balloons with hand painted metallics in icy cool blues were perfect for a home celebration honoring Tom Matousek, the newest member of the Disney Fine Art family. If you’re not familiar with his work, treat yourself to a visit through his page at Disney Fine Art and click on the area that reads “Introducing Tom Matousek”. His work is absolutely stunning, exciting and fresh! Make sure to see the section “originals” as well. You’ll want them all!

    It was an intimate outdoor celebration on the patio with family and close friends. I was given carte blanche to create so i pulled the color palette from his painting “Oswald”. Icy blue greens, silver, creamy white and pops of midnight green were a soft and peaceful palette under giant pearl white balloons. The tails were tied with gold, sheer, organza ribbon and varied in length. 

    It was a balmy summer night and the balloons were unruly at times, making me work hard for my photos. A great feature of Lifted Balloons is how they can be moved with great ease. Even with the wind factor, guests enjoyed posing for pictures with the giant balloons. If you're looking for fun dynamic photo booth ideas then Lifted Balloons are second to none. My favorite photo came the following day when I received a picture of my client's 10 year old son sitting on the sofa, playing a video game, with the giant balloon right by his side like a new friend. It was a texted to me with the caption “He takes the balloon everywhere with him!”