On the Table: Red, White + Wood

Hi there lovelies!  How is your Wednesday going?  Mine is just peachy really ;-)  I know I still have a lot of explaining to do, but I just don't have the time right now to do so...and you just might not want to hear all that I have to say.  So while I still contemplate explaining my disappearance for almost two months, I thought I would still pop in and leave you with some lovely inspiration!

I know we are in the midst of Winter...hello highs of 52...and everyone is looking forward to Spring, but when I saw these pictures, I just couldn't help but think how fabulous Fall really is...

Here's a closer look at those table names...

Eeks - fabulously rustic and Fall.  Here are a couple more details for you to devour...

I gotta tell you that I am loving all of this, aren't you?  And the leaves on the floor are one of those details that sends me over the moon ;-)

~ Ciao

...photography by nikki meyer via the pretty blog

Tuesday Shoesday #14: Fringing Out

This week I have decided to go a little vintage on you!  I am loving these Marni fringed leather and wood sandals...

And I can just picture them with a little lace shift dress, like this one...

For a casual outdoor vintage style wedding!  Cute, no?  Yet, you could wear for a bridal shower or rehearsal dinner as well.

However, I would wear the sandals now with cropped pants, a white tee, and some fabulous little baubles...oooh and a cute handbag too!

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 ~ Meant to be Sent  ~ Merci New York ~

~ Ciao

...image via net-a-porter

Tutorial: Homemade Save the Date Blocks

Happy Homemade Thursday my dears!  Oh are you in for a little (not big) treat today.  Do you remember the Save the Dates wood block puzzles that I made for The Loveliest Day?  Here is one picture in case you missed...

Well not only will I give you the step-by-step tutorial on how I made the Save the Dates, I am going to show two other ways that you could use these wood blocks!  My first is for table numbers...

We'll get to the other idea in just a minute.  How did I make the table numbers and the Save the Date wood block puzzle you ask?  Well I designed, printed, cut and stuck!  Makes it sound super easy, no?  Well this project is more time consuming then difficult I think...but the outcome is so worth the effort!  Here is what you need for this project:

1. 6 designs printed out.  You will want to make the design 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 be careful not to go all the way to the edges as you don't want to trim off any words.  Hint if you use a patterned background like I did for the table numbers it makes it easier than no background, as you can follow the lines of the pattern to cut out, otherwise it is measuring to get it right.
2. 9 plain square wooden blocks 2 inches in size
3. A Xyron machine - this fabulous little machine makes plain paper into a sticker.  You could also use double-sided sticker sheets (8 1/2 x 11 in size) as well.
4. Either a pair of scissors, a paper cutter or a ruler and Xacto knife to trim with.
5. A pencil and ruler to mark and measure squares on the back of the design.

And here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to make the wood block puzzle table numbers (the same way I made the Save the Dates):

1. I trimmed the paper before I sent it through the Xyron machine, as to save materials.  Make sure to turn the handle slowly to pull the paper through.  When the paper has come all the way through, use the trimmer on the machine to cut off. Images 1-4.  
2. Trim the edges off of the paper.  And remove the top layer of film (this is just a protective coat).  Images 5-6.
3. Measure 1 1/2 and 3 inches from one side and mark a line at each.  Rotate the paper 90 degrees and do the same - so you have a grid on the back.  Image 7.
4. You can check at this point that your design will fit on top of the blocks.  Image 8.
5. I then cut the lines and each line into a square. Image 9.
6. Make sure to place the cut squares on the blocks as you go so you do not mess up the pattern.  Image 10.
7. Peel off the sticker. Image 11.
8. Place one sticker onto one square. Image 12.  If there is any overlap, trim it with scissors or an Xacto knife after each sticker is stuck.  Repeat until all squares are done.  Flip the blocks over and start again.

Also, at $1.29 for one wood block at Michaels, it makes this project pretty expense. So I sent my boyfriend, Mr. Big, to Home Depot to find me an alternative...and that he did. One 8 foot post, the same size as the blocks (2 inches) for about $10.00. If you do some math - that would make about 5 puzzles (with some room for an error or two) at a cost of about $2.00 a puzzle for the wood.  Which is really the only thing you need to purchase...unless you want to purchase a Xyron machine.


I know some were concerned about the cost of mailing; and while the cost isn't a $.44 stamp it is outrageously expensive either.  Packaged in just a cellophane bag and place in a padded envelope the cost to mail it from California to New York was $2.92.


Okay, now onto the second idea I have for you - escort blocks.  These are fairly quick and easy if you set up a table in Word.  You follow the instructions as above, but you only have 6 squares to cut out versus 9.  (If you would like I can e-mail you the template I created, just leave me a comment or send me an e-mail and I will be more than happy to send it to you.)

I just loved the way the escort cards turned out, don't you?  I printed a guest name on one side and different numbers on the other.  The table that the guest is seated at is marked by a circle.  So there you have it - wood block escort blocks.


Also, I told you that I would include the fonts that I used for the Save the Dates posted on The Loveliest Day.   I used a variety of cross stitch fonts, and all the fonts I used can be downloaded for free.  If interested here is name and link for each font:

1. Save the Date - Cross Stitch Delicate
2. Date - Embroidery
3. Names - Stitch Cross
4. Location - Home Sweet Home Outline
5. Heart - Home Sweet Home
6. Made with Love - Costura Lt

For the escort cards above, I used a free down loadable font as well called 1942 Report.

So that about does it my dears.  Please let me know if you have any questions, as I would be more than happy to answer them or assist in any way that I can. 

Psst - And to let you in on a little secret, I saved $65.00 on the Xyron machine I purchased.  How?  At Michaels they are $129.99...but I had a 50% off coupon!  Let me tell you, one of the best purchases I have made in quite some time.  So if you are interested in buying one, find a 40 or 50% off coupon for Michaels so that you too can save some money!

Oooh and a couple more things - these blocks would be cute to use at a bridal shower, birthday party, a game night party, etc...  They would also be cute as gifts, favors, etc...using pictures.  Also, I would include one page with smaller images of all the designs to help solve!

~ Ciao

...concept, design, styling & photography all by luna and chloe weddings

~ guest post on the loveliest day ~

Hey loves!  Looking for my Tuesday Thought?  Well I am guest posting on Melissa's fabulous blog, The Loveliest Day today.

And boy are you in for a treat!  Come have a look-see at the Save the Dates I made.  Here's a sneak peek for you...

~ Ciao

...image via the loveliest day & concept, design, styling and photography by luna and chloe weddings

~ homemade: yarn & wood details ~

Happy Thursday lovelies!  It's that time again for another homemade post.  This week I am playing off the guest post photoshoot that I did for my lovely friend Kate's amazing and inspirational blog, Magnolia Rouge.  (If you didn't see the post, you can see it right here.) 

For this week, I am using yarn and small wood hearts (an I and U too) as a cake topper, flags, details and decor.  As I am sure you are aware, Luna and Chloe Weddings is all about the details...whether big or small.  But for me, sometimes it is the littlest details that I love the most!  Some of them you might have seen before, but this is what I came up with.  So let's get to them, shall we?

I love the idea of plants as favors - wrapped in burlap and tied with yarn it is the perfect little gift for your guests to take home!  The plant below is white licorice...cute, no?

A perfect little cupcake topper you ask?  How about a painted wooden heart tied off with some yarn?

And how about having those cupcakes sit on a homemade stand? The one above was created from cardboard and covered in vintage book pages.

Now I hung the cute K heart S from yarn by just gluing it onto yarn, but I think it would make an simple DIY cake topper too, don't you?

For the kids, I created yarn flags with a yarn ball at the end.  My reasoning behind the yarn ball at the end...is that I don't want the kids (adults too) waving them around while not paying attention and poke someone's eye out!  The yarn is just a simple loop and pull through design...just make sure they all go the same way.  And for the ball topper, I just used a small styrofoam ball and wrapped yarn around it...easy peasy!  The other flags are a single vintage book page cut up and wrapped around a stick.

I am having an obsession with yarn...can you tell?  And it all started with the yarn balls that I'm sure we have all seen.  To make the ones below...I used three different sizes of styrofoam balls and yarn that's it!  To make the starting point stay I used a knitting needle to poke the yarn into the styrofoam...ended it the same way to...so safe for kids without needles.

A cute detail that I always love is when drinking glasses are dressed up.  Below I used a couple painted wooden letters and heart, some yarn and some glue.  I heart you, simply stated!

Finally...one of the last things I created for this shoot were yarn hearts and the word "love".

The yarn heart and "love" was made by dipping a piece of yarn in Stiffy fabric stiffner, shaping on wax paper and left to dry.  And while I mentioned plants as favors above...you can always take it up a notch by using a vase...this one is for cream (as is the other two in these pictures).

Don't you just love the "love" cake topper!  For those of you on Twitter yesterday, this is what I needed a cake for.  I just glued toothpicks to the bottom and stuck in.  I adore the way this turned out and did other words to...just to see how they'd look...I loved them all!

So I think that pretty much sums up my homemade post for today!  If I get a chance later this afternoon I will try and add some more pictures for you.  If you have any questions at all please just shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment, and I'll get back to you.  Hope you enjoyed this homemade post...as always, I had so much fun creating it for you.



~ Ciao

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

On the Table

I am swooning over the way this table is decorated! 

An old plank going down the center with some flower arrangements, lace wrapped votives and some nuts and sticks!  Here's a close up of the flowers.  I L-O-V-E lambs ear in arrangements - it is super soft and silvery green.

Some of the details for you too.

Ah, the feathers are fab too!  Now I see this as a very cost effective tabletop.  First off - old planks...find them for free.  Second - old trophies and slightly tarnished silver vases - I would scour antique stores, flea markets and friends homes (just put a sticker on the bottom of who they belong too and make sure to return them).  Third - buy in bulk votive holders and apply your own lace, either paper or real, with adhesive.  And lastly - find a great florist or do them yourself!  And this would work any time of the year - think beach with shells and votives with sand, spring with moss, summer with butterflies...

~ Ciao

...images via 100 layer cake