Wedding Planning Wednesday - DIY mason jar centerpieces

 This last weekend Mando and I met up with our wedding coordinator at the LA flower market to pick out flowers for our centerpieces. I knew I wanted baby's breath and peonies but I was still looking for a 3rd option. I kind of have a love affair with florals after working in a flower shop so I was happy to browse around all morning. Peonies sadly were not in season yet, but I found some gorgeous spider mums to play around with in the meantime! I also found the perfect 3rd type of flower which are those white pom pom flowers you see in the ivory centerpiece. I'm all about texture so my main goal was to try and get the perfect balance and I really lucked out finding those at the last minute! I'm super excited to do my own flowers for the wedding. It's been a long time since I've worked with flowers at all, but it isn't something you really forget! I spent the rest of the weekend experimenting with different boutineer styles and bouquet wraps which was really fun! The floral arrangements aren't the only DIY project I have going on either.... I'm also making my own centerpieces. I knew I wanted to incorporate my love of mason jars (which goes perfectly with the rustic theme) so I came up with 3 different designs for each table.

1. Burlap & lace mason jars: Burlap and lace has been a continuing theme throughout the wedding so I knew I had to use them for the centerpieces! This is just a quart size mason jar with a wide strip of burlap around it and hot glued in the back. I then wrapped it with a piece of wide ivory lace ribbon and hot glued that as well. Super easy once you have all the strips cut out! The good news is that the strips don't have to be perfectly straight or even because the frayed edges just add to the rustic charm!

Ivory painted centerpieces: I wanted one centerpiece that was different than the others so I chose to do these ivory painted cans to mix it up. This is beyond simple and super inexpensive to make! I just started collecting large cans after we used them at home and then peeled the labels off. You may have to scrub them afterwards to get any glue redisdue off as well. Then, once they were completely dry, I spray painted them in this ivory color. They aren't super fancy, but that's okay... the more rustic looking the better!

Twine wrapped mason jars: Last but not least are these pint sized mason jars! I bought some thick twine at a craft store and wrapped them around the middle adding a dab of hot glue here and there to hold it together. Again, easy and inexpensive to make!

I really love how all of these turned out. They are exactly the look I was going for and I think they'll look amazing on the tables! You can't beat pretty centerpieces on a budget! Now I just have to finish the rest of them, haha!

Next week I'll (hopefully) talk about our invitations and even share a sneek peak! Almost time to mail them out, can you believe it?! Ahh! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - New DIY project!

With only a little over 3 months left until the big day, I've been up to my elbows in DIY wedding projects! Right now I'm working on the tables and the centerpieces and I thought I'd share the yarn wrapped table numbers I just made! This was such an easy way to make cute table numbers on a budget and although they are time consuming and a little imperfect, I love the rustic, handmade feel they have. I won't bore you all with a tutorial, because 1) I think it's pretty self explanatory and 2) there's probably about 100 of them already out there if you need them, but I will tell you that I bought the numbers, letters, and yarn at JoAnns and one jumbo roll of ivory yarn got me through all 13 table numbers!

Inspired by this photo on Pinterest, I also wanted to make yarn wrapped signs for our table, the dessert table, guestbook table, and the bar. I really wanted one letter to pop so I used a shimmery, champagne colored yarn to contrast with the ivory letters and I love how it turned out. I also used the champagne to make the '1' for our table stand out!

Next time I'll show you guys how I'm sprucing up those mason jars to use as vases for our flowers! Everything is slowly but surely coming together! Yay! Happy Wednesday everyone! XOXO

Trick or treat banner + Halloween cupcake toppers!

 I just wanted to pop in quickly and give you all a sneak peak of some new holiday items I made for Mama Matryoshka and The Threadery! I meant to post this yesterday, however an angry, teething toddler kept me busy most of the day. I hope you'll forgive me!

I really wanted to make some fun Halloween items this year so I focused on a color palette of orange, purple, and lime green. I think these colors just scream Halloween and I love how it turned out. First, I made this 'Trick-or-Treat' banner which is perfect to hang at a pumpkin carving party or Halloween celebration! It features Frankenstein, a witch's hat, and a jack-o-lantern! I braided 3 colored ribbons together to hang it which gives it a little pop and texture.

And of course I had to do some cupcake toppers! I did the same theme of Frankensteins, witch's hats, jack-o-lanterns, and ghosts! These look so cute on cupcakes; I am obsessed! I think Frankenstein is my favorite!

If you're in Orange County, make sure to come see me at The Threadery on October 22nd! If not, you can purchase these Halloween items in my Etsy shop here.

I have a lot more new items to share coming up! I've been crafting it up over here! XOXO

Friday Favorites: My favorite pins for children!

One of the things I love about Pinterest is all of the amazing ideas I get for Cayden. You can find anything from toys and adorable outfits to learning and art activities! I am constantly finding new fun things for him to do which is helpful for weeks like this week when he's been especially restless. Of course I also stash away pins for any baby girls that may be in my future someday (I can't resist the shoes!). Here are a few of my favorite pins that have anything to do with babies and children!

I've been really into teepees lately. I'm always building forts and play-houses for Cayden out of anything I can get my hands on... boxes, sheets, chairs, and pillows; the possibilities are endless! Anything that encourages imagination and pretend play is a plus in my book. I'd love to get him something like this black and white striped teepee when he finally has a big boy room of his own! He could use it as a clubhouse or reading nook or just to play explorer with his friends!

When I was a little girl I was obsessed with dress-up dolls. I (like every other girl in the world) begged my mom to get me an American Girl doll complete with a stocked wardrobe. I would have D-I-E-D for this doll, no joke! Her little fur jacket, patent leather shoes, and polka dress... omg. I would play with it even today. And that little hanger and tiffany blue box? I can't even handle the cute.

Creativity is super important to me. Growing up, my sister and I were always doing arts and crafts and making SOMETHING. I really want my kids to be the same way so I want to encourage artwork from a very young age. Right now Cayden is still in that puts-everything-in-his-mouth stage so it's hard to do much, but I'm stashing away tons of ideas for the future. I love this idea of using twine and clothespins to display artwork on the wall (easy to rotate, too!). And how adorable is this turkey hand puppet? All you need is a brown bag, some buttons, and construction paper and you have a fun holiday project for your kids! LOVE.

I just bought Cayden his first set of finger puppets and I'm really excited about it! When he's older I want to get him a little theatre for plays and puppet shows. If you haven't checked out this Etsy shop, you need to do so immediately. She makes adorable felt finger puppets of all different types. This woodland set is my favorite... dying over that moose!!

I am so, so excited about this idea. Fill jumbo muffin tins with shaving cream and a few drops of food coloring and your kid is able to "paint" a masterpiece in the bathtub. The best part? When they're finished you just spray it with water and clean-up is done! No stained clothes, dripping paper, or messy brushes. Genius!

Remember when you were a kid and you were SO excited when you got a loose tooth? My sisters always joked they were going to tie a string to my tooth and the door so when they slammed it, my tooth would be yanked out (terrifying!). I love the idea of having a special tooth fairy pillow and this one is just too cute for words. I love the smiling tooth on the front and the little pouch. No more stumbling around the dark trying to find baby teeth under pillows!

I warned you about the shoes, right? I am obsessed with kid's shoes and let's face it, they aren't that many adorable options for boys out there (although my little man rocks the slip-on Vans if I do say so myself). I have so many baby girl shoes pinned you would think I'm expecting (I'm not -- let's just be clear on that!). I found this sweet little pair the other day and fell in love. I die for anything with stripes so these striped shoes with their teeny tiny flowers attached found a place deep in my heart! Now I just need to convince Mando to have another baby! ;)

I hope you got some inspiration for the little ones in your life! If you haven't joined Pinterest yet, you better run there now and sign up! The inspiration is just endless! I hope everyone has a great weekend... we finally have the first quiet weekend at home planned since we've moved and I could not be more excited about it! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday: Photographer booked + our engagement shoot inspiration!

Big news in the wedding world: We finally booked another vendor, yay! I'm so excited to have booked Tammie Halcomb as our engagement and wedding photographer! I 'met' Tammie on Twitter and actually designed some party decor for her adorable triplets' birthday party earlier this year. When I saw all of the amazing pictures on her FB, I knew she was the perfect photographer for us and I'm so, so excited to work with her! She's sweet, funny, and has the biggest heart... I just know that we'll work well together!

Our first order of business is doing the engagement shoot. We probably should have done this months ago but with Cayden's birthday, the Oregon trip, and our move we honestly have not had a chance to do it yet. Now we're forced to do it before it gets too cold out which means we have about a month left. EEEK! I have been pinning and scouring Etsy like a mad woman trying to get our concept and 'props' down and I think everything is finally coming together.

We went back and forth over what theme we wanted our engagement pictures to have (because you all know I NEED a theme!) and after my 'country fair' idea was thrown out we agreed on a picnic theme. It's very romantic and timeless (as Tammie wisely pointed out) and I'm getting really excited about it! Here's some inspiration pictures I've dug up so far...

{Original image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.}

Aren't they all gorgeous?! I seriously can't decide which one I like best! I think if I had to choose it would be the top and middle left pictures but they are all amazing! Right now I'm obsessing over patchwork quilts and trying to find the perfect one for the pictures. Then I'll work on styling the props... I'm thinking a wooden picnic basket, a pretty bunch of sunflowers, and maybe some fruit/bread/wine in there somewhere. I'm also enlisting the help of my sister to make me a few coordinating throw pillows! Then I need to figure out outfits and accessories, and well, as you can see I'm very busy!

What do you think of the picnic theme and what items do you think I should include in the photos? I'd love to know your opinion! XOXO

Cayden's Mickey Mouse birthday party.

Cayden is obsessed with Mickey Mouse so I really wanted his first birthday to be something that makes him happy. I'm not a huge fan of licensed character parties, so I stuck with a red, yellow, and black color theme and incorporated a ton of DIY details. Although the day was hot and hectic, I'm so glad that I was able to do this for him. We all had so much fun and it was worth all the months of planning, and sweat and tears that went into it!

Mando and I were up until 3am the night before the party baking 2 dozen cupcakes, brownies, lemon bars, and rice crispy treats. We were back up at 7am the next morning and immediately started packing everything up to get to my mom's where the party was taking place. We picked up the cake and the balloons on our way and then started cooking the food and decorating before the party started at 1. Like most hostesses, I was running around like crazy making sure everything was done and the guests were comfortable, and I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I wanted (including any of the food table, Cayden in the pool, his high chair banner, or the kids wearing the DIY Mickey ears) but I did the best I could with the time I had! There were a few hiccups like the wind, popping balloons, and flies trying to get to the food, but we made it work and in the end all 40 guests said they had a good time!

My favorite part of the day was Cayden eating his smash cake. He looked so serious, but ended up making a huge mess and eating almost the entire thing! It was so funny! The kids all had SO much fun playing in the pool with the big rafts, beach balls, and pool noodles. The food we served was yummy and everyone raved over the dessert table. Luckily, I had time to down some strawberry margaritas and was able to finally relax and enjoy my time with the birthday boy!

Now onto the pictures!

I sent these invitations out sooooo late, but at least I had the excuse that they were handmade! I designed and made all of them and thought they turned out cute! Special thanks to my sister for helping me create the party details on the back!

 "You've got ears, say cheers!" DIY Mickey and Minnie ears for the kids to wear. I made these using black headbands and hot gluing circles and bows that I cut with my Silhouette. Super cute, easy, and inexpensive! The kids loved them.

 Along with soda, water, and beer, we served homemade lemonade and sun tea. I found these beverage dispensers at Walmart for $10! I love how they act as a display piece with the lemons on the bottom.

One of my favorite things at the party was the strawberry margaritas we made using my mom's ice cream machine! They were cold and refreshing and they paired perfectly with the carne asada tacos. I bought the red and white striped paper straws at my favorite party planning site, Shop Sweet Lulu!

This banner frustrated me to no end! Every time I tried to tie it up the wind knocked it down. Finally I had to duct tape it to the wall, which wasn't the prettiest look, but it worked! This was the best picture we got (thanks, sister!), but as you can see the wind was pretty brutal. I also had really cute Mickey Mouse balloons on both sides, but half of them popped before the party even started! Sometimes you just have to laugh it off! :)

My amazing sister whipped up these fun tissue paper pom-poms hanging above the dessert table about 5 minutes before the party started and they ended up being one of my favorite decorations! We had planned to do them together, but just didn't have time so I'm so glad she took care of it for me. They turned out beautiful and everyone loved them!

The dessert table was A LOT of work, but I'm so happy with how it turned out! We baked everything in my kitchen (with the exception of the cake) and I made the 'sweets' banner, Mickey cupcake wrappers, pinwheel cupcake toppers, the cake and smash cake topper myself. (All available to buy in my Etsy shop!) The ice cream bar was a huge hit, and the kids loved picking their own toppings! The plates, napkins, and the ice cream cups were also from Shop Sweet Lulu and were adorable! I'm so bummed I didn't get a good picture of them!

I loved the smash cake and that picture of Cayden is my favorite of the entire day! The cake topper was custom made my me, and you can see he's wearing a pair of my DIY Mickey ears! :)

 My boy annihilated that cake! He was so messy afterwards I didn't even bother trying to wipe him down, I just turned the hose on him!

I can't believe my sweet boy is finally one. Since the party, it's like he exploded into toddlerhood and is now a walking, talking, tantruming little man! ;) I'm proud of myself for holding it together the entire day... I didn't cry until we got home and I was carrying my sleeping 1 year old from the car to bed. I spent a lot of time remembering where we were a year ago, and reflecting on those sweet few first days of his life spent in the hospital. It was so cozy and quiet and magical.  I can't believe a year has already gone by!

If you're planning a big party, my suggestion is to start early! Everyone thought I was crazy for planning 6 months in advance, but I'm so glad I did. It gave me plenty of time to really find out what I wanted to do, and allowed me to start buying and making everything over a long period of time instead of all at once. I'm so thankful to Mando, my mom, my sister, and my best friend for stepping in and helping me without me ever having to ask. I literally couldn't have done it without their help! In the end, everything might not turn out how you envisioned it, but you have to make the best of it and remember your there to celebrate and enjoy the time with your loved ones!

I think next year we'll have a smaller, family party... we (along with our bank account) are still trying to recover from this one... I think Mando might be traumatized!

XOXO

Friday Favorites: Pins of the week!

I wanted to do something light and fun for this holiday weekend and because I have found some amazing inspiration on Pinterest this week I decided to dedicate today to my favorite pins of the week! I don't know if it's because it finally feels like summer is here, but I just can't get enough of all of these bright and sunny colors!

I absolutely love the colors in this vintage kitchen. The red and aqua, the vintage colanders, and that big open window make this the kind of kitchen a girl dreams of!

One of the best DIY ideas I've seen to date: Cover a pot with mod podge and some pretty fabric to give yourself the sweetest container garden in town! I NEED to do this on my balcony!

I think we can all agree that my sister really needs to find some giant yarn and make me this cozy blanket! LOVE!

I'll admit it, I'm not really into art. It's very rare I find a painting or a picture that I love enough to look at day after day, but when I saw these AMAZING pieces by Michelle Armas my mouth dropped. I love her use of colors and texture and I would love to hang one of these paintings in my family room. (The prices are very reasonable too!)

Just a little bite of wonderfulness! How adorable would these spoons be at a baby or bridal shower? I love the pastel colors too!

Ever since I saw this stand mixer on The Pioneer Woman I have lusted after it. It is so pretty and unique, it's truly a work of art! Now get in my kitchen! 

Another creative idea: use vintage colanders as hanging flower pots! So different, so pretty and you can bet I'll be on the hunt for some of these on my next antique trip!



That's all for now! I hope everyone has a fun and safe July 4th (my personal favorite holiday, and Cayden's first)! We'll be spending the weekend BBQing, watching parades, and lighting sparklers! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Crafty Craftersons

It's no secret that I love to make things. I mean, I love it so much I made a business out of it. Anytime I see something in a store that I like I automatically ask myself 'could I make that?' before buying it. It's a great way to save money and recycle/upcycle materials you have laying around! And when it comes to home decor, there are plenty of DIY ideas out there. I've been on the hunt for some wall art, specifically items to include in a gallery wall, and I've found some great ideas on Pinterest. Here are just a few of my [Friday] favorites!

I love this idea for a gallery wall. Whenever I go to antique stores or flea markets I always see old letters made out of brass or steel and I love them but I never know what to do with them. You could either leave them as-is for the weathered look or spray paint them a fun color and then just attach it to some scrapbook paper and pop it in a frame! If you don't have antique stores near you it's easy to make a large initial out of cardboard and paint it!

I love these yarn wrapped monograms and have been dying to make one. You can cut out the letter from an old cereal box or buy one made from wood or recycled materials from Michaels. Then just pick out yarn that you love and get to wrappin'!

Chalkboard paint is all the rage right now. I love this idea of making a countdown with it because you can use it over and over and customize it whatever way you want! Just get a 2x4, sand it, paint it, and attach vinyl letters that say 'days until'. Easy peasy!

This is one of my favorite finds on Pinterest. Find places on a map that you love or that you've gone to with a loved one, cut it out in a heart shape, and then frame it! It can be used as art in your home or given as a sentimental gift!I want to do this for Mando for the place of our first date, our first apartment, the place I gave birth, the place he proposed, etc.

This is one of the simplest projects I've seen... literally anyone could do it! Cut out pieces of cardboard in various sizes, cover them with pretty fabrics, and BAM! You have yourself a pretty little gallery wall! I think this would be a great way to decorate a craft or play room!

I've been looking for a wreath for my door that I can hang year-round so I was super excited when I saw this. I know Michaels sells these wreaths for pretty cheap as well as the wooden numbers. Slap some paint on the numbers, find some pretty silk flowers and you've got a pretty new wreath to greet your guests!

I challenge you next time you see something in a store to ask yourself if it's something you can make at home! You never know until you give it a try! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. I'll be spending it catching up on some crafting of my own! XOXO