DIY - ONESIE MONKEYS

I've had a lot of questions from readers about the onesie monkeys I made for Chris & Tami's baby shower. They're so easy to do! So I thought I'd share a little how-to today ...

What you need:
Infant Onesies
Brown and Tan Construction Paper
Black or Brown Marker
Ribbon
Labels
Scissors
Pencil
Glue

Start be creating yourself a template. Place a onesie vertically, so that the waist down is on a piece of construction paper. Trace (snuggly) the outline of the onesie, leaving holes for the legs. Then remove the onesie and draw legs coming out from the holes. Repeat the process on another piece of paper for the top half of the monkey to create arms and a head.Now that you have a template, trace onto fresh sheets of brown paper and use scissors to cut out the top and bottom halves of each monkey.
Using the tan paper, create a template for the face, trace and cut out. You should be able to fit 5 faces on a sheet of 8.5x11 paper. Using a black or brown marker, draw eyes, a nose, lips and cheeks. Glue the face onto the front of the head.On your computer, design labels (I used Avery shipping labels from Staples) that give your guests direction; "Personalize me!" Stick the labels on the front of the onesies.Open the onesie and insert the head and shoulders into the top half. Then insert the waist and legs. Close the snaps and lift the monkey by the head to straighten out your monkey. There will be a gap in the middle where the halves don't meet (no one will know but you).Cut a length of ribbon approximately 4-inches. Fold it over on itself and glue to the back of the monkey's head (preferably with glue gun or gorilla glue so that it will hold up to some tugging).
Let the glue dry overnight before hanging your monkeys. Have fun, xo!

Floral How-To

I had a lot of questions about the flowers I did for the Santa Barbara Bridal Expo ... Believe me, it was so simple. And you could easily replicate this concept for your own event! Here is a little pictorial how-to ...

Materials you'll need:
Tall Vase (I used an 18")
Black Ribbon (3" wide), or color of choice
Blue Ribbon (1/2" wide), or color of choice
Black Jewels
Crafting Glue
Vase Rocks
Curly Willow
Hydrangea, Three loose stems
Floral Wire
Reindeer Moss
A stem of Orchids, or any flower with stem on

Step 1:
Cut 2-3 pieces of black ribbon of equal length (about 1" longer than vase's diameter). Wrap around middle of vase and secure with a hot glue gun or crafting glue. Let dry. Pull thin blue ribbon around middle and tie with a bow in front.

Step 2:
Put the vase rocks in the bottom of your vase and fill the vase 1/3 full with water. Arrange Curly Willow in center.

Step 3:
Encircle the Curly Willow with the Hydrangea.


Step 4:
Cut the orchids off the stem, leaving about 1 1/2 - 2" of stem. Find where the Curly Willow forks and stick stem in "V" of the fork.

Step 5:
Cut 3" of floral wire. Wrap stem with reindeer moss and secure with green floral wire. Continue with additional orchids until you have desired look.

Step 6: Disguise seam of ribbon in back with black jewels. Use crafting glue to stick them on. Gives the effect of the back of a vintage wedding dress!

Step 7:
Using a funnel or baster, fill the vase the rest of the way with water to cover hydrangea stems.

Step 8:
Enjoy! This makes a fabulous centerpiece for an escort card table or gift table. You can also use as a centerpiece at reception tables, but it looks best if used on half and then mixed with a few low, full pieces on the other half of the tables.

Nicole & Tyler III

On the heels of the amazingly gorgeous photos by Josh Newton from Nicole and Tyler's wedding last August, I have one adorable final detail to share...
Nicole has a passion - and an eye - for details. She incorporated all gem tones into her colors and wanted to incorporate it into her own wardrobe as well. With thought for comfort and style, Nicole designed her own shoes using a pair of blue flats from J.Crew a clip-on flower from etsy and some fabulous ribbon from her own collection. The result ... spectacular!
Thank you, Josh, for all the gorgeous photography. Thank you, Nicole and Tyler for the beautiful memories - you guys are such a joy! xo