the setting

Colombian finca weddingColombian finca wedding Colombian finca wedding Colombian finca wedding Colombian finca wedding

Happy Friday, guys! I hope you had a great week. I'm feeling all caught up with work and the home front so now I can start sharing more photos from Colombia. Woo hoo!

These are from the wedding reception setup in the corridor of our finca. Aside from the table and chair rentals, everything we used had a special and personal touch. And...it was all super simple and easy which is just our style.

For the tables, leftover bamboo from a separate house project was cut to create the centerpiece vases (thanks, grandpa!). Instead of buying flowers elsewhere, I opted to used the bougainvillea from the same cluster of plants where we said our vows. It felt right to bring them to the table and the colors really popped against the yellow walls with the mixed arrangements that my aunt Kristina created.

Another aunt brought the tea lights that we placed on remnant terra cotta tiles found in storage, complementing the natural bamboo and burlap already on the table. And to top off the setting, I wrapped biodegradable forks and knives in my favorite napkins that I felt would be perfect for re-using at the finca for future gatherings.

As much as I loved all of the above, my absolute favorite part of the setup was the cupcake table. My mom made the cupcakes and was also the genius behind the display stands that were made using bamboo, cut-to-size wood, thick twine, and burlap place mats. Nothing a glue gun couldn't handle! And of course, the gorgeous tropical arrangement with flowers from the property that brought the whole table to life.

Everything came together so well by using what we had on-hand and getting creative. It was all so fitting for the casual affair and spirited nature of the day, we couldn't have been happier. Gracias familia for pitching in and making it happen!

Wedding photos coming up next week. Have a good one!

(photos 2 and 3 by Katherine Apolinar)

simple christmas touches

simple christmas touchessimple christmas touches simple christmas touches simple christmas touches simple christmas touches simple christmas touches simple christmas touches

A few simple touches of gold and red around our home have really made it feel like Christmas. From framing wrapping paper to making a mock fireplace, I'm quite happy with what I put together with the little that we have and can commit to. I really thought that we'd go without a tree this year since very few natural ones are imported (and are crazy expensive) so I was happy to find a little felt one from MUJI. It may not be big enough to put presents underneath, or give off the lovely smell of pine, but I love it. And best of all, we can flatten it and take it with us wherever we go without taking up much space. Maybe one day we'll have dedicated garage space for holiday decor but for now, we've gotta stick to a large shoe box ;)

How do you decorate for the holidays? Do you deck the halls or just have a few favorite pieces?

 

friday pic & pin

friday pic & pin by Anamu 25 Happy Friday, guys. For those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving - are you still totally stuffed? Can you please overnight some yummy leftovers? Pretty please?

As you can probably tell, I didn't have much time to plan a feast of our own but maybe we'll come up with something over the weekend. If not, I will definitely be getting crafty and will start decorating for Christmas. A little DIY I did for autumn was a flower votive using a ball of cotton twine - I know, so stupid simple but I love it!  You can see where I got the inspiration + more photos over at Poppytalk (plus check out their Black Friday & Cyber Monday handmade deals)

Cheers to the holiday season, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

This week's three rad links...

• tips for flying with a toddler

• get over your DSLR camera freight and get the holiday photos you really want

• a gift guide that gives twice + i'm now officially obsessed with LemLem. love the way they're making Ethiopian textiles look and feel so current.

(image left: autumn centerpiece DIY by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via Honey of a Thousand Flowers)

{diy} book cover to frame mat

book cover frame matThere's one LA souvenir that I haven't mentioned: a DIY frame mat for a very special photo of my little girls. I used a cover from one of their torn-beyond-repair Golden Books to frame a photo that I snapped of them during my visit. Considering that I had to cram my craft time in between toddler nap times, it was the perfect quick and easy project to take on. If you have some old books in your life that might fit the frame, click on over to Poppytalk for the complete how-to. Let me know how it goes!

{diy} ikat inspired beach bag

DIY: ikat inspired beach bagDIY: ikat inspired beach bag DIY: ikat inspired beach bag

I love a good basic bag that will stand the test of time. This one from MUJI comes kinda close to the coveted quality of Filson so I was very excited to snatch it up and bring it home. The simplicity of the canvas and leather is great but since it's summertime, I thought that I'd have a little fun with an easy DIY. I chose Ikat weaving as my design inspiration and am so happy with the results! The colors, the lines, all very subtle but they give the piece a totally different personality. I think I might do this in the future with simple cotton totes as re-uasble gift bags...lots of possibilities.

If you're not familiar with MUJI (I wasn't until we moved to London) they are an awesome Japanese company that keeps things focused on simple yet practical design. They have barely made their way to the US with stores in NYC but I hope that they expand if/before we move back. I can't imagine life without them now - they're like a small-scale, more earthy, back-to-basics Ikea. I couldn't find my exact bag in their web store but they have a ton of great styles to pick from. Happy stitching!

Wanna see more? Click on over to Poppytalk for the full DIY tutorial!

growing a green thumb

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If you're like me and have yet to master your green thumb, check out these potting steps and tips that I learned at this weekend's Handmade KL craft party:

1. Choose your container (white ceramic teapots were provided. i planted the rest into a bowl from our kitchen)

2. Line the bottom of your container with an inch of rocks followed by another inch of gravel. This will help in the drainage of water.  (Made so much sense because I always rot my plants that aren't in pots with drainage holes)

3. Add 3 tablespoons of crushed charcoal which will prevent the growth of bacteria. (Never heard of this but maybe it's a climate thing?)

4. Fill the container with soil up to half an inch from the top of the container.

5. Gently arrange your selection of succulents on top of the soil.

6.  Once you're happy with the arrangement, top up with soil then gently pack in with the succulents.

7. Brush off any first from the succulents then water them.

It's as simple as that! I can't believe that I was so intimidated by potting plants myself. Now, for the real test: maintaining these babies at home. Any tips?

"how to" instructions courtesy of craft party host, Mimpi Murni

happy friday!

I hope you had a good week and got a taste of Spring like we did here in London (it's so close!). We're thinking of doing a day trip to Oxford tomorrow so if you have any tips or suggestions I'd love to hear them - especially if there are any antique markets ;) I just updated the shop with several items but I (and you, I'm sure) can't ever get enough.

Here's to a fun weekend filled with new treasures and adventures!

This week's three rad links: • Celebrate St. Patrick's day with Leah's Irish Stout Brownies recipe. I may try it but I'll need all of the luck in the world to pull it off (baker in training). • "Creativity is not magic, and there's no such thing as a creative type." I loved this article on the simple science of creativity via the Wall Street Journal •  In case you missed it, my first DIY contributor post for Poppytalk is up. Happy making!

(image: vintage pair of espresso cups via The Pond Market)