Hello Kitty Graduation Lei

Graduation is coming up and I made a Hello Kitty Lei for a special student last year. Here are a few images to inspire you to make your own lei and personalize it to make it unique. There are many videos on youtube to help you make a lei. I watched the ehow channel. I learned that dental floss is the best string to use! It was sturdy... and minty fresh :)

I found a graduation picture of Hello Kitty. I printed that out and mounted it on a cardstock that was folded accordion style around the image. I also made loopy bows with different ribbons, wanted to mix polka dots and stripes. I also did a kind of ombre style, transitioning the flower colors from greenish to white then to blush of pink.

Here are some images for reference. Try making your own lei, it was a fun project. Makes a great gift for that hardworking student!

Coogan and Wine Bottles

More friends gets hitched! Congratulations to the Applegates!

The bride had a pink rose bouquet with Artemisia 'Silver Brocade' foliage. The hand bouquet was tied with a champagne shimmer ribbon. We named the bouquet Coogan, it sort of just happened thanks to a saved image. The groom had a matching boutonniere as well. They were married in the San Francisco City Hall (gorgeous!).

I've been entertaining myself with the joy of glass cutting. Since we got a bajillion wine bottles lying around my husband and I have been cracking it like crazy. The bride wanted to keep the flowers fresh so she kept her bouquet in the DIY vase pictured above. I'm glad to recycle all our bottles! We don't necessarily drink all of it... my husband is a sommelier that's why we got quite a haul!




I'm in love with West Elm's recycled Spanish glass vases. I'll come up with my own bottle decoration for my table setting one of these days...

Lavender Wreath

Oh, the benefits of Lavender! Its aroma is a natural sedative, it calms the mind and promotes a restful sleep. It can help alleviate headaches and is a natural pick-me-up against depression and anxiety.

A lavender wreath could be a beautiful housewarming gift, a beneficial decoration over your bed headboard or even a unique present for hospital patients. Here is a DIY that I promised a few months back that I hope you will enjoy.

The items needed are the following: one bunch of lavender flowers with the stems and leaves (I cut about 8-10 stems of French Lavender from the garden, 6-8 inches long), thin florist's wire (green would be the best shade), green floral tape and scissors.

We begin by taking the wire and wrapping the leaves to the stem, overlapping one stem to the next one. When I usually end a wire I bend the edges and wrap it with green floral tape to avoid scrapes. You can also just tuck the end of the wire into the leaves.

Once it is long enough you can form it into a circle. You can make the wreath as thick/ thin as you would like and the diameter can be adjusted to your liking. Wrap more wires to make the framework sturdy. Set the wreath framework aside and begin cutting your lavender blossoms, leave about an inch of stem at the bottom.

Working counter clockwise, gather some flowers (3-5 pcs.) and wrap it with more wire against the framework. Work your way around the wreath. It's OK to go over some flowers with the wire. Remember to always tuck in the edges of wire ends. Finally, make sure that the last flower bunch is tucked underneath your first set of flowers, so that the ends won't be visible.

This wreath is quite sturdy, considering that it was just looped wires! You can create a variation of three sizes for decorative purposes or even make a thicker one for your home's front door. I personally love it with a cream satin bow, very dainty! Enjoy your new project and savor its beneficial treat.

DIY Birdcage Veil

This birdcage veil was was very easy to create, I simply gathered the edges on one side of the veil and glued it onto a piece of fabric for anchor. Then I just placed a giant peony on top! I pinned it on my hair and it lasted all through the night. How easy can it get? Three simple steps to a chic happy bride! ;)

DIY Flower Appliques

This is my favorite headpiece with the flower appliques. I was making several of these for the other headpieces and decided to make more for a top as well. It's nice to reinvent old things :)