DIY Kitchen Towels

Want a cute housewarming gift for a friend or favor for a home shower?  Check out these chic DIY hand towels and free downloads from Wedding Style Guide.  So cute!

DIY Mini Paper Parasols

Spotted over at Frenchie and Flea, this DIY project is adorable and super simple.  I think it would be fun for a summer party, bridal or baby shower, or even for a wedding.  Or, you know, a Thursday afternoon drink at home!

This project was created by A Field Journal.  For the full instructions and free download, go here!

It's in the Details: Pinwheels

Perfect for a summer wedding, pinwheels are equal parts whimsical and fun.  A great DIY idea (see a tutorial from Style Me Pretty here, one from Once Wed here, and one from Better Homes and Gardens here, you can make them for all of your guests as favors or place cards, or just for you and your wedding party.  Also fun decor for a birthday party or a baby shower...

Top Row:  Alyssa Alig Photography, green pinwheels via Brides, pink ones in pitcher from Better Homes and Gardens

Middle Row:  Via Green Wedding Shoes, pinwheels in garden via Hatch Creative Studio

Bottom Row:  First and last photo via The Sweetest Occasion, photos 2 & 3 via Snippet and Ink

DIY Book Cover and Bookmarks

I saved a great DIY project to close out DIY week!  I wish I could claim it as my own, but that would be stealing :)

This is my favorite DIY project I've seen on the blogs in a long time!  As I have posted in the past, my husband and I love books.  We have a million books.  We like to give books.  I would have loved to do this as favors for my wedding, but was afraid it would be too time consuming and overwhelming.  But with the help of this DIY project over at my favorite DIY resource blog, Twig & Thistle, the project is way do-able!

Perfect for a library themed wedding, you can cover your favorite books, or a blank journal.  Pick a pretty paper (Paper Source has lots to choose from), follow the instructions here, and enjoy!

Check out the full post on Twig & Thistle.  And you should totally check out all of the great DIY posts on Twig & Thistle!  Kathleen posts some amazingly creative ideas.

DIY Place Card Rocks

For a smaller wedding or a party, I love these DIY place card rocks.  Made with air dry clay, letter stamps, black architecture pens, and glossy varnish, they would make a great keepsake for guests.

Project found on the Violet Hours

DIY Welcome Bags

It is DIY week at Oh Lovely Day, and I want to kick the week off with a DIY project I did for my own wedding.  I've been to a lot of weddings.  AAAAA LOT!  And as an out-of-town guest, I have always appreciated a good welcome bag.  So when I was planning my wedding and knew a majority of our guests were coming to California from all over, I vowed to make them as comfortable as possible.

I wanted to make my welcome bag a little more personal than the generic brown or colored paper bag with a couple of things thrown in.  I wanted them to include what I believe are necessities.  And I wanted them to be easy and inexpensive for me!

Materials for the bags:

• Canvas tote bags (from cheaptotes)
• Iron-on printer paper (from office depot)
• An iron
• A printer
• An image to print

We had a monogram that we included on our save-the-dates, invitation suite, and other wedding details, and I wanted to put in on our welcome bags.  I had to reverse the image so that when it was printed and ironed on it would read correctly.  I bought enough tote bags to accommodate each out-of-town couple or guest for our wedding.  I printed a coordinating number of monograms.  Then I found a hard surface (a table works well- an ironing board doesn't work as well).  Follow the directions on the transfer paper packaging.  I laid an old pillow case down on the table, put the tote on top of that, and placed the printed paper where I wanted it on the tote.  Then I ironed each image on until I had done enough totes for everyone.

Next you have to fill the bags.  Here are what I consider essentials:

• 2 bottles of water (this is the most important thing, and one bottle is NOT enough unless for only one person!)
• Snacks (in ours I included special K cereal bars, a bag of chips or crackers, and a small bag of Isabella's Cookies, which are made where we had our wedding and are my absolute fave!)
• Hangover helpers (tums, advil, etc.)
• A map of the area and activities & restaurant recommendations
• Mints and/or gum
• An itinerary of events, including any shuttle departure times (if applicable)
• Sunscreen (if in a beachy area)

Here is a picture of our finished product, complete with itinerary and other items with our monogram:

Total approximate cost per bag = $6

Making your guests feel welcomed, comfortable, informed, and hydrated....priceless

Has anyone else done their own DIY welcome bags?

DIY Welcome Box

What a great DIY project to make for your out-of-town wedding guests!  Created by designer Suann Song of SIMPLESONG Design for The Bride's Guide and photographed by Kate Headley, the project and the photos were too cute not to share with you.  But check out the full post here.

From Simplesong:

I started with a simple wood box and lined it with Martha Stewart paper, both found at my local Michael's craft store. I then gathered things I thought would be useful and enjoyable for out-of-town guests, including a weekend schedule and list of local attractions, Metro passes, a Metro map, French macarons made by a local pastry chef, and M&M's in the pink and copper wedding color theme. Everything was pulled together with glassine or cellophane bags and custom labels (see template below). When completed, the finished box not only looks elegant, but only costs about $15!

Materials:

- Wood box from local craft store lined with pretty paper

- Double-face satin ribbon

- Glassine and/or cellophane bags

- Paper for printing (I like a heavy textured paper like Paper Source's luxe)

- Double-stick tape to affix tags

Template:

Click the link below for a simple template that includes the frames I created for this gift box. You can also purchase similar frames/designs on a site like iStockphoto, that sells royalty free artwork and illustrations.

simplesong_template_pink_plus

Finished product!

While the project may be a little pricey for a ton of out-of-town guests, it would be a great welcome for a smaller guest list or if you only have a few out-of-towners.  Next week I'll do a DIY welcome bag post that is very budget friendly as a second option.

Own Your Books

My husband and I are obsessed with books, for both reading and collecting.  We have so many that we often loan out our old copies of East of Eden, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Alchemist, Harry Potter... So how great are these stylish and free printable bookplates from Dahlia Press via Postcards and Pretties?

These would be great for your home library, as a gift, or as a favor in a library or book themed wedding!

What I Love: Emersonmade

I absolutely love Emersonmade and all of the little floral pieces they make.  You can adorn your shoes, dress, hair, bag, favors...the possibilities are endless!  I bought one of the small floral hair clips for my bridesmaids and they wore them for the wedding in their hair, and one of them told me they wore their flower last weekend.  Just for fun.  Love that.

Connect the Dots

I'm loving polka dot details incorporated into the design and styling of weddings and events!  They're so fun and a little bit retro...

Top Row:  Photos 1 & 2 from Martha Stewart Weddings, invitation from Tilde Designs, ties from flickr via Something Old, Something New
Middle Row:  Place setting from Kelly Gao  and shoes by Delicious via Style Me Pretty, dress by Michelle Roth, room photo by Tim Walker for Vogue Italia via Oh Joy!
Bottom Row:  Lanterns from The Knot, envelopes and favor box from Martha Stewart Weddings, Ring Pillow made by Brookyn Bride via Thoughtful Day

You definitely want to stay away from being too literal - do NOT use dots in every element of your wedding.  Just pick a couple of details, like your stationery and ring pillow, or incorporate them in your decor, the groomsmen ties, and your shoes.  They are a fun way to lighten things up and add a bit of whimsy to your day.

Succulent Chic

Living in So Cal, succulents have become a staple in my attempts at "gardening" (a.k.a. two small window boxes).  They are easy to take care of and require little maintenance or water, and are always visually pleasing.

Succulents are being seen more and more in weddings and from these photos it is easy to see why.

Succulents as favors:

Originally seen here on Style Me Pretty

Succulents in bouquets, boutonnieres, & accessories:

Photos 1 & 5 from this amazing Malibu wedding on Style Me Pretty

Photos 2, 3, & 4 from this cool desert wedding on Green Wedding Shoes

Photo 6 from this beautifully bright wedding (my personal fave) also on Green Wedding Shoes

Succulents in details, table settings, and floral arrangements:

Photos 1&2 from the same Malibu wedding on Style Me Pretty (check out that cake designed by the groom and made by Vanilla Bakeshop!)

Photo 3 from this Palos Verdes wedding seen on Style Me Pretty

The 5 photos from the lower left side are all from the same cool desert wedding as above 

Final photo in bottom right corner from this Palm Springs wedding, also on Style Me Pretty

And how about this gorgeous ring shot!

From the beautifully bright wedding above originally on Green Wedding Shoes

Go here to see the full feature (and I really think you should!)

It's in the Details: Vintage Keys

I like to tell myself I started the trend of antique keys that I'm starting to see on paper goods, in weddings, and even at Tiffany & Co.  While I know deep down that isn't true (obviously) I did think of the idea to use vintage keys in my wedding before I had ever seen anyone else using them, and my mother and I hunted for about 16 months for them.  We scoured flea markets, antique shops, estate sales, any place we could think of to find a key for each guest that would attend my wedding.  And they were a big hit.  Now, everyone that attended my wedding has a little piece of it at home with them, as my husband and I do, and I love that.  Here are some ways we used the keys in our own wedding:

Tied to our escort cards

Tied to our florals

In our ring photos

All photos by Jennifer Roper, Florals by Greenwich Floral Design, Calligraphy by Barbara Kua

It's in the Details: Vintage Hankies

Vintage hankies aren't just for your grandmother anymore.  They are a thoughtful gift or element to include in your wedding.  I gifted my bridesmaids with vintage hankies that were wrapped around their bouquets (and my own bouquet was wrapped with two vintage hankies - one from my mother and one from my grandmother).  I gave my mother and mother-in-law hankies with a special message embroidered on them, and even gifted one to my betrothed with a message and our wedding date on it.  Another thoughtful idea would be putting out a basket of vintage hankies for wedding guests with a sign directing them to take one.

I've been a fan of Bird and Banner's hankies on their etsy shop for a while, but I recently discovered they'll be selling them at Anthropologie as well (like I need another excuse to go to Anthropologie!)  Here's a little eye candy, but be sure to check them out at their website and etsy shop.

Loving Lace

I love lace elements.  My wedding gown was made of lace.  We used lace patterns on our invitations and actual lace on our programs and other DIY elements.  And I always love detail shots that I see that incorporate lace but modernize it a bit.  Here are two great examples of what I mean:

Both photos by Country Living

I love how the lace doilies are sewn together to make a table runner in the first photo and think displaying a bunch of vintage doilies on a cake plate puts a new spin on how we think of decorating with doilies.  Seeing these pictures made me go back and find the photos of lace elements for weddings that I had saved in my own planning.

Lace Program (middle, far right) by Ravenhill on Etsy, all other photos from Martha Stewart Weddings

Inspiration Board: Down on the Farm

I came across the photo of the barn a while back and was inspired to design a wedding to take place in that beautiful barn!  Chandeliers and antique keys are two of my favorite things, but I'm loving the horseshoes too!

Top Row:  Chandelier and barn from Brides, Piano from Leigh Miller Photography, keys by Alisha Clark via Snippet & Ink Row 2:  pies from The Knot, envelope from Wedding Style Guide, cake by Jessamyn Harris, horses by Punam Bean,

Row 3:  Mini Pies from Wedding Style Guide, Chicken stationery from Bella Muse, apples from Rebecca Thuss via Snippet & Ink, rose from Ellen Silverman, stationery from Wedding Style Guide, Bottom Left:  horseshoes from Brides

DIY Project: Hot Cocoa & Marshmallows

I'm a big fan of DIY projects and personalizing your wedding.  I saved my favorite DIY projects featured on other wedding blogs and want to share one of them with you today...Hot Cocoa & Marshmallows!  Originally featured here on Style Me Pretty and done by Kathleen of Twig and Thistle, this project is another great wedding favor for a fall or winter wedding or cute addition to out-of-town bags for guests.  It would also make a great regular party favor or hostess gift!

Images from Twig & Thistle via Style Me Pretty

From Kathleen:

Materials:

-Heavy Card Stock

-Labels

-Muslin Bags

-Thread / Sewing Machine

-Corner Punch Tool

-Cellophane Envelopes

-Resealable Glue Strips

-Individual Hot Cocoa Packets

-Recipe for Homemade Marshmallows (could substitute regular marshmallows if desired

Instructions:

1. Print pattern onto a card stock and trim to 3.75 x 3″ then round the right side corners with a corner punch tool. (You could use any patterned paper for this project and just mount it to a card stock with spray mount.)

2. Print the smaller labels onto a card stock. I used a silver metallic to coordinate with our wedding colors. trim each one out using an x-acto knife and ruler. Then hole punch (only half) on either side for sewing.

3. Line up pieces of paper with the left edge of the muslin bag and sew with a coordinating thread color. I used my basic sewing machine to do the sewing and they turned out well.

4. For the note inside we printed a greeting onto the same silver card stock and rounded the edges with a corner punch tool.

5. The homemade snowflake marshmallows were made from a recipe found at marthastewart.com.

We packaged the marshmallows in cellophane envelopes with a re-sealable glue strip to maintain freshness. Add individual hot cocoa packets in similar colors to complete the gift!


You could simplify this as much as you need to.  If you can't sew or don't have a sewing machine (I don't, but this project makes me wish I did!) you could always find small craft paper bags and print labels to put on the outside, you can use regular marshmallows, etc.  There are two more DIY projects that can be done in combination with this one that I'm planning to feature in the coming weeks.  Until then, happy crafting!

Love is Sweet!

There is something about french macarons that I love.  I don't know if it is their yumminess, or the pretty pastel shades they come in, or that they make me think of Paris...but I know they make me happy.  While I am more of a cupcake girl when it comes to desserts, there is just something so simple and lovely about french macarons.  And they make beautiful pictures!

Left:  Via Martha Stewart Weddings  Right: Laduree' Paris,

Bottom:  Pierre Herme' Paris

French Macarons would be a charming addition to any wedding dessert bar or would make great favors for guests.  Many bakeries specialize in making them for weddings, or it could be a great DIY project for a bride!  My favorite bakery, Vanilla Bake Shop, makes delicious macarons, among many other treats (including the cupcakes for my own wedding).  Last month, Style Me Pretty did a DIY holiday feature where Vanilla Bake Shop shared tips and a recipe for making your own macarons.  For the full feature on SMP, go here.

Tips and Recipe:
Color & Flavor Coordinate: Presentation is key! You eat with your eyes first. Take that into consideration when you are making your French Macarons. Choose three flavor and color combinations that compliment each other and taste delicious.
Personalize: Adding a personalized custom label to your favor is a sweet touch that is simple and inexpensive. A helpful online source is http://www.myownlabels.com/. Chose from a variety of label templates and colors. Cost: approximately .75 per label.

Packaging: Choosing recycled eco-friendly cardboard or clear favor box is a creative way to show off your colorful French macarons. A cost effective online packaging source is http://www.papermart.com/ Cost: approximately .50 per box

Ingredients:
3 ½ cups Powdered sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla extract
3 cupsAlmond meal
6 Egg whites
Pinch Salt
½ cupGranulated Sugar

Helpful tips before you get started:
*Oven temperatures vary. Test this recipe first, before you begin production to ensure the cookies bake perfectly. If the cookies crack on top, your oven might be too hot. Turn your oven down by 5-10 degree’s. The cookie should have a smooth shell top.

*Chose three different food colors for your cookies and decide what flavor will correspond with the color. Example: A pale green macaron filled with mint chocolate ganache.

*Gel based food-coloring works the best. Divide your batter mixture into three separate bowls, and add a different color per bowl. This will allow you to have three different colors and flavors.

*Use a toothpick when adding the food coloring. A little goes a long way.

Instructions:

Pre-heat Oven 240 degree’s
1. Whip egg whites in a mixer with whisk attachment until frothy. Rain in granulated sugar slowly. Whip until the egg white is a soft peak. Add salt, vanilla extract and food coloring.
2. Continue to whip until a medium peak forms. Do not over whip.
3. Sift powder sugar and almond meal together.
4. Fold powder sugar and almond meal into egg white mixture.
5. Fold together until mixture is the consistency of slow moving lava. (About 20-30 seconds of folding.) Be careful not to over mix.
6. Fill pastry bag fitted with #828 tip with macaron mixture.
7. Pipe into small silver dollar size rounds on parchment covered sheet pans.
8. Once all rounds have been piped, allow it to sit out for 30 minutes to dry and create a shell.
9. Bake at 240 degree’s for 9-11 minutes. Rotate halfway through baking process so cookies are evenly baked. Cookie tops will pop up creating a macaron “foot” below the shell top.
10. Allow to cool before piping filling.
11. Fill with your favorite butter cream, preserve, or chocolate ganache filling.  This recipe yields 40 French macaron sandwiches.

Try them at home, or if you are in the LA area head over to the Vanilla Bake Shop and buy some instead!
 

Above:  Vanilla Bake Shop

DIY Project: S'mores Kits

One of the most important things I think any bride can do in planning her wedding is to come up with at least one DIY (do-it-yourself) project.  Whether it is your menus, programs, favors, or a cute extra project (or all of the above!), DIY elements add a special touch to your wedding, show your guests you put time and thought into the elements of your wedding, add a little bit of 'you", and save you money!  I am going to try whenever possible to post DIY projects or ideas for weddings that I have come up with or found on the blog circuit. 

One of my favorite DIY ideas I have come across is actually quite simple - a s'mores kit.  It would be a perfect wedding favor idea for a fall or winter wedding or an element to use in out-of-town bags for guests, not to mention a great gift for everyday use (think holiday gift, thank you gift, hostess gift...)  How perfect would this project be as a favor idea for the winter inspired wedding previously featured!?

Pictures from Twig & Thistle

Materials needed:  marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, acetate boxes or clear plastic bags (depending on how big you want the kits and how you prefer to package them, but I prefer the acetate boxes, which can be found here), and baker's twine or your choice of ribbon

Instructions:  Pretty simple really - just package the boxes or bags with the marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate, tie some baker's twine or ribbon around the packaging, and top it with a sticker or tag carrying a special message from you.  I like the combination of baker's twine and a kraft tag.  Minimal cost or effort to you, but a thoughful and yummy gift for others!