Happy Weekend!!

After a week full of work, I am so glad we get to enjoy 3 days off. Hope you all have safe travels and fun times!!

DIY Gift Tags with Bows

I recently acquired a set of blank gift tags from the Martha Stewart section of Michael's. With graduations, birthdays, and Father's Day coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to create something that adds a nice touch a wrapped gift.

Each tag had a lovely edge that I wanted to dress up but not take away from.


Decorative tape/ribbon, also a recent purchase, was a great option to add to the gift tags. The muted colors and soft design would add to the tag details nicely. They are adhesive backed making it easy to lay out and stick on. I love blue and brown together.


Here are some of the lay outs I put together.


The only problem I came across was cutting the ribbon to match the very detailed edges of the tags. It took a while, and was not perfect, but the pattern on the ribbon sort of masked the uneven and frayed edges.

Next up was deciding how to dress the tags. I could have used stickers, buttons or various decal, but since I liked the ribbon so much I decided to go with it. There were various tutorials on how to fold bows: here, here, here.

Ultimately I used an interpretation of the tuxedo look/method found here.


First was to cut ribbon to desired size. This is based on how big you want the loops to be.


Next, glue the bottoms of each end to the center, overlapping them.


Press at the center until glue dries for a flattened center.


Once dry, you will need another piece of ribbon to go over the center and complete the look.


A small piece will do.


Wrap the piece around the center and glue at the back of the bow.


The bow is complete!


Various sizes and colors will add whimsy to the tags.




Simply adhere them on.




I love that since the ribbons came in the same pack, the print and pattern complement each other.




Here are the finished tags.

A simple DIY that comes out looking chic :) Let me know if any of you try it, I would love to see the results.

Pretty Pink Flowers

I carpool to and from work, which leaves me some time between leaving the office and getting picked up to walk around. I usually stay by my building or walk to the bluffs, but since the beginning of Spring, I have been attracted to the verdanas with overgrown bougainvillea.

Located by the main guest parking lots, these verdanas are a nice way to welcome those who drive up.


I am attracted to the hot pink color, soft petals, and the contrast of the cement pillars.


Looking up is also a nice view.







Also love when the bougainvillea spills over the top.


And the light shines through.

Hope everyone is having a good week. I can't wait to enjoy the 3 day weekend :)

DIY Thank you cards

Part of my reception decor included punched paper circles in 2 sizes. These circles were placed around centerpieces and other displays, and the various shades and patterns of paper fit our design aesthetic well. We had a zip lock bag full of them and after the reception they were returned to us intact. Instead of throwing them away, I thought it would be better to incorporate them in my last wedding related diy, the thank you cards.

Sarah K Chen Photography

Here are a few circles in action!

Sarah K Chen Photography

3 join the card box.

Sarah K Chen Photography

More line the place card display!

With the abundance of circles we had (colors ranged from pale yellow & mustard yellow to lilac & plum, patterns included gingham, leaves, and textured lines), I wanted to keep the cards simple. The card design plan was to keep it minimal, lay the circles out in a balanced pattern and embellish with flowers, hearts, or rhinestone decal. I created about 10 different lay outs/looks and used the circles as the overall theme.

Below are 11 of my favorite cards. I made multiples of each card (totaling about 50), differentiating them with the patterns and textures of circles, and matched them with my thank-you envelope liners. Card stock and envelopes are from Paper Source, paper circles were punched from scrapbook paper from Michael's, and decal is from the Martha Stewart collection at Michael's.




















This was one of my favorite cards. I experimented with actually punching through the card stock so there could be something on the inside as well as outside of the card.


One flower doesn't move when you open the card.


And this is how it looks on the inside :) A fun surprise!

I love that each card had a different look, which kept it very personal, but they were all tied together because of the circles.

Happy Thursday everyone :)

Grease Sing A Long

source

Grease is one of my top movies ever. It is my most watched movie (hundreds of times) and the hubs knows that if it is on tv, I will (demand) watch and sing along! While checking out concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, I found a Grease Sing-A-Long for June 25!! Time to buy a pair of saddle shoes and practice those lyrics :)

Last Weekend

Gloomy Monday and Tuesday mornings have me (already) dreaming of the weekend. Oh the joys of sleeping in, indulging, and afternoon walks :) Last weekend was no exception. We enjoyed a yummy brunch, stumbled upon the Wheels and Waves car show on State Street, enjoyed the sun, and got a surprise in the mail.


Rancher's omelet from Cajun Kitchen with hash browns.


How did they stop the car like this? How did they get out?


I like classic cars.







Pinkberry Mango cone :)


Favorite flower of the day.


Vernal Festoon necklace arrived in my mail box early :)

Hope that your weekend was fun and that the work week is going well.