Tuesday Shoesday #30: Buckles & Butterflies

Oh Manolo - you sure do know your way to a woman's heart!  Have a look-see at these jewel buckle d'Orsay's...

Gorgeous, no?  What a fabulous pair to wear on you wedding day.  I love all the colors, don't you? Those buckles?  Yep, love those too!  And I think a perfect match for these shoes is this wonderful butterfly wedding cake by Martha Stewart...you know, this one...

However, if the butterflies are too whimsy for you, this macaroon cake would be another fabulous option...

I don't think you could go wrong with either one.  Awww, shoes and cake - really does it get any better? 

Be sure to check out these lovely blogs for more Tuesday Shoesday goodness:

~ Postcards & Pretties ~ Brancoprata ~ Life in the Superburbs ~ Magnolia Rouge ~ Landlocked Bride ~ The Demosielle ~ Swatchbook Weddings ~ A Realistic Wedding  ~ Merci New York ~

~ Ciao

...shoe photography by lane dittoe via wedding chicks, martha stewart butterfly cake via wedding cake pictures & macaroon cake by sweet merveilles found via elizabeth anne designs

Inspired By: A Chevron Floor

I am OVER THE MOON about this picture.  I L-O-V-E everything about it - especially the chevron floor!  But I also love the colors, the chippy paint and the sleeping kitty - all just pretty perfection...

And so very inspiring to me!  Goodness, I can think of soooo many ways to turn this one picture into a  photo shoot...and I am sure it would include some pieces with chippy paint from Over The Moon Vintage Rentals!  Hehe ;-) 

However, here is a perfect example on how you could incorporate this inspiration into a wedding...

On a wonderful chevron cake in the same perfect shade of green!  Fabulous, no?

Thank you my dears for another great week here at LCW.  Wishing you a lovely first weekend in June!  May the sun shine wherever you are, as it will be raining all weekend where I am.  See you back here on Sunday for some sweetness.

~ Ciao

...images via  luella loves & once wed

Tuesday Thought: Fresh Lettuce

I miss having a garden!  I had a lovely 25' x 25' garden when I lived in Iowa, and I sure do miss it this time of year.  Every year I planted a variety of vegetables, but the one thing I picked daily was lettuce for a salad.  I loved the variety of mixes that I planted.  I also loved that when I cut off the lettuce that I wanted to use it would grow back!  So I had a never ending supply of fresh lettuce for the late Spring and Summer, and I was over the moon about it ;-)

So it got me thinking when I saw this picture of a lettuce mix...

...who doesn't love fresh lettuce?  And the variety of colors and textures do look pretty, no? 

So here is your Tuesday Thought for the day:  Use pots of lettuce mixes in a vintage crate as centerpieces!  The fabulous thing about this thought is at the end of the night you can have guests and family members take a pot or two home.  Just inform them that they can cut off the lettuce they would like to use, and it will grow more for them to use again.  And while you could use this idea at your wedding - it would also be a fabulous engagement party or rehearsal dinner idea too.

It would be cute to add some other fresh herbs or veggies to the centerpieces too.  You could get really creative and playful with it if you wanted - like naming the tables after lettuce varieties or your favorite salads.  Your favors could be olive oil, or a homemade salad dressing with a recipe card attached.  Lots of ideas really.  Definitely an eco-friendly idea that is cost effective as well! 

~ Ciao

...image via the new general store

Darling Detail No. 10: Cow Bells

Vintage cow bells tied with fun ribbon and pom poms at the end of each row is downright darling...

What fun it would be to ring those bells as the new Mr. and Mrs. walk down the aisle after saying their I do's!  You can't help but smile just thinking about it, no?  I can't.  I can imagine bunches of different sounds from lots of different bells.  Ooh, I LOVE it!

~ Ciao

...photography by paige newton

~ flowers of the week: 1.3.11 ~

Welcome 2011, so happy you are here.  And welcome my lovely readers - here's to a fabulous 2011!  I hope to have lots of goodness for you this year.  However, there might be some changes here at LCW, but they will all be good - promise. 

As I have started off every week for the past year with the Flowers of the Week, I figured why change a good thing?  It's such a great way to start the week I think.  And instead of just posting one picture like I usually do, for this first Monday of the new year I am posting a handful of them.  Of all the weddings that took place last year, I have many favorites...but the flowers from this wedding are at the top of my list...

Gorgeous, no? I adore the variety of flowers, colors, textures and vases that they are in.  From the brides bouquet to the succulents on the tables - everything is soft, light and oh so pretty! 

~ Ciao

...photography by the amazing jose villa via style me pretty

~ homemade: abundant autumn ~

Yay for Thursday, and another homemade post!  For this week's post I decided to do something a little different.  Surprised?  Probably not anymore. 

Anyway, I wanted to create an autumn tablescape that was brighter than the typical browns and oranges you see so often.  Not that I don't love them...I do (and I will probably create something using these colors), but I wanted to give you another color palette option.  My inspiration for this post was a gourd.  This one to be exact...

I fell hard for the vibrant green and bright yellow colors, and thought that I would push myself creatively to create a tablescape around it.  A tablescape that can be used at a wedding or autumn event...and one that was cost effective!  You can easily cut costs by using what's in season, and what is more in season in autumn than leaves?  Which were free in my case.  So with all that being said, here is my tablescape...

I have really been on a dessert kick lately for the centerpieces!  Not only do I love the ease of it, but desserts can be so pretty.  For the desserts I used mini pecan tarts, pumpkin mousse tarts and mini pumpkin pies.





The one thing I love most about this tablescape is the favors.  After racking my brain to come up with a unique idea, I kept coming back to what autumn is all about for me...food.  Fresh baked pies, stuffed turkeys, sweet potatoes...all things that come out of an oven.  And what do you use to get things out of the oven?  Potholders and oven mitts!  I used both on this table...

Potholders for the girls...

And oven mitts for the boys...

I especially love the one for the girls as it is the perfect spot to slide a menu into.  But I do like to mix things up too!  Finally, I just finished the table off with a couple of candles...

And a couple more gourds...

And there you have it...

...an abundant autumn tablescape.  Hope you enjoyed this Thursday's homemade post!  If I have some time later I will try and post a couple more pictures for you.  Hope you have a lovely autumn day!

~ Ciao

...concept, design, styling & photography all by me

~ flowers of the week: 8.30.10 ~

Happy last couple of days of August!  Wow, can you believe that September will be in here in two days?  What I want to know is where did Summer go?  Seriously, it never really felt like it came.  Even the weatherman said it's been the coolest Summer in 90 years...or something like that! 

Anyhow, did you have a nice weekend?  My Saturday was kind of busy, but I can't complain, for the first time in AGES I went to bed at midnight Friday night (the earliest in weeks it seems) and slept til noon!  I can't even tell you the last time I slept for 12 hours.  It was so need...as Friday night I didn't know what I was doing while attempt to make dinner because I was so tired!  But I did squeeze in a baby shower cocktail party Saturday afternoon, and a meet up with my cousin Greta Saturday night to see Eat Pray Love.  (Dang it, I wish I would have read the book!)  Sunday was all about domestics (as Mr. Big calls them)...laundry, yard work, prepping and repainting the shed...which for the first time ever (that I can recall) I think I might have picked the wrong paint color!  So it doesn't get crossed off the master to-do list, as we will probably have to repaint it again (dang it again).

So with all the crazy going on...I just want something simple this week.  And these simple, single stems in bud vases and beakers all in shades of green are exactly what I want...

It's the subtle statement that I love.  Just group an odd number together in varying heights for a centerpiece, or they would also look great going down the length of the table.  And the great thing about these is that any color or flower would work!

Here's to a great week!

~ Ciao

...image via decor8

~ who says ~

...you can't use tree stumps as seats?

They would be perfect for a lounge area, don't you think?  And a great little detail is to use cushions on top (like above), to make them nice and cushy for your guests.  Trust me, your guests will thank you.  Oh, and how fabulous is that chandelier with the light strings?  Gorgeous!!!

P.S. - And don't forget the blankets if there is a chance the night might get chilly!

~ Ciao

...image via everything fabulous

~ homemade: centerpieces ~

So I think I am really into this new series (see my post below)!  I don't know how much easier homemade centerpieces can get than this...

Not only is this easy, but you're recycling...and every little bit helps!  What I really love about these centerpieces is that there are so many pretty options in cans these days.  I know we see a lot of tea tins and vintage tins...not so much of everyday cans though.  I'm sure you can find one or a whole variety that would be fitting for your outdoor or indoor affair!  I keep thinking of the oatmeal tins that I love...how perfect would they be for a breakfast reception? 

And remember, flowers look fabulous in them...but so do veggies which would be cute for a garden reception...or to serve appetizers in.  Oh, now I'm thinking...empty olive oil cans filled with breadsticks...love it! 

Happy Thursday my dears...it's almost my birthday...woohoo!!!!

~ Ciao

...image via sweet paul

~ who says... ~

...your wedding dress can't have a hint of mint?

So pretty, don't you think?

~ Ciao

...image via dress design decor

~ beach grass + moss ~

As I mentioned last week in my ~ swamp thing ~ post on luna and chloe (my other blog), I love the moss that hangs from the trees in Florida.  And with being at the beach yesterday and seeing the grass...I knew the combo would be very cool!  So you could imagine my surprise when I found this picture yesterday with the jar on the left filled with both (granted it's not the tree hanging moss, but it is very similar)...

What a great combination the two make!  And I love that it pulls in green as opposed to blue, which is always used with beach weddings.  Simple, sophistication is what I would call this combo...especially when used as centerpieces.  The moss in the jar on the right would be perfect for a woodland, rustic wedding when combined with some other elements...twigs, mushrooms, etc...  And the jars can be found just about anywhere...Target is where I got mine.  And after the wedding the jars are great to have on hand!  I have filled mine with everything from sangria, cookies, utensils, soap...really anything!

~ Ciao


...image ethan ollie found via forget me knot weddings, via frenchie & flea

Who Says...

...your flowers have to be real?  I think these Sola wood flowers are a.maz.ing!

Whether placed on a grapewood branch above, or in a hollow grapewood log below...

Or even in a badam pod...

They look absolutely stunning!  If interested, you can find them at Save on Crafts online...they call them Sola shell flowers.

And the great thing is - they are only $4.99 for a pack of 12!  Love, love, love.

P.S. - If you are wondering what Sola wood is - it's an entirely natural paper product derived from the tapioca plant.  No lie.


~ Ciao


...images 1,2,& 3 via jl designs and events and 4 via save on crafts

DIY: Herb Centerpieces

So last week I did a post on herb centerpieces, which you can see here, and gave you some ideas on how to use them.  One of them being...planting them in a colander.  I also said that I would put something together for you.  Well I did just that.  Granted this is just a mock-up, quick, thrown together kinda thing...but I still think that the overall idea is great! Here is what I put together yesterday for you...

How'd I do it you ask?  Grabbed a colander, lined it with some plastic wrap (so the dirt doesn't fall through the holes), added some dirt and herbs.  Literally it took me about five minutes once I had the plants.  But I couldn't just take a picture of the colander...too plain and boring.  I added some nasturtium leaves and flowers from the yard (the flowers are edible), a couple of empty pimento jars with tea lights in them, a wooden #1 that I attached to a card using spray adhesive...which I then placed in a flower frog to hold.  I did purchase a burlap kinda thing that came on a roll that ended up working out perfectly even though you can't really see to much of it.  But I didn't stop there...I added some nasturtium to the back of an OLD chair from the garage and just let the leaves trail down it...

I love the overall look of this chair.  Of course, keep in mind this is a mock-up.  Didn't spend but 5 minutes grabbing the leaves and flowers and attaching them.  I created a couple of items such as a favor idea, a couple different chandelier options, and changed some elements...like the table number (not loving it in the pictures, even though it looked cute on the table)...and have plenty more pictures of details (like the plates)...but this post would be huge...so be on the lookout over the next week or so for more pictures!  I'll leave you with one more picture...

So what do you think? 

~ Ciao

...photography by me

On the Table: DIY Herbs

Well, since I have been on a green kick this week - I figure why not continue!  I love to cook, and I love herbs...so how about herb centerpieces?

It's an easy DIY and low cost option.  All you need are dirt, herbs and some small containers (you can get really creative with the containers).  Also, I like the fact that you can give them away as gifts to a couple lucky people at each table, or favors for that matter!  Or you could do one big arrangement with a cute stake with the table number on it.  I'm thinking a large strainer (with the inside lined of course, plastic wrap would work) filled with herbs!  Strainers come in all kinds of colors, or better yet buy inexpensive ones and spary paint to match your colors.  Or have each table be a different herb.  I think you see that there are lots of options.  Anyhow, it is perfect for a chef, someone that loves to cook or a couple that just loves food. 

P.S. - I'll make up a large strainer and take some pictures for you.  I'll post them next week!  So keep your eye out.

~ Ciao


...photo emma mitchell

On the Table: Moss & Grass

I have to be totally honest here: I L-O-V-E moss! Well, this kind of moss at least. And as I am sitting here thinking of Spring, I couldn't help but state my love for it. You are probably thinking I am totally off my rocker. Anyway, can't you just see these little pots lined up on your reception tables.  My initial thought is that they are perfect for an outdoor reception, or in a barn...but in the garden or on a terrace would be fabulous too.  It's the pop of green, and a reminder of Spring that I love so much.

And if the moss really doesn't do it for you...how about grass?

Both are great ideas for the table.  All that is needed is a couple other little items on the table and your done.  A great cost effective, do it yourself alternative to flowers.

~ Ciao

...image via molly wood garden design