DIY :: chalkboard candles

I have a deep love for candles and am a true believer that adding candle light to any space instantly creates a warm + cozy atmosphere. With Thanksgiving literally right around the corner, I thought a quick little DIY was necessary. As you all know by now, I am obsessed with anything chalkboard related!! As I was taking down my Halloween decorations I noticed these pillar candles that I grabbed from the dollar store. I thought to myself, hey why not turn those into rad little chalkboard candles!?!?! Duh!?!?!? All you need is glass pillar candles, chalkboard contact paper {a craft closet staple} a chalk pen, and 20 minutes!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

so happy together

When I heard the news that my cousin was getting hitched, I jumped at the chance to help out with the decor for their big day!! I absolutely love weddings. . .  true love, endless drinking, dirty dancing, and complete happiness all wrapped up in one night!! With all of that aside, decorating and styling a wedding honestly warms my heart and tickles my fancy. Along with my aunt Alice from Moss to Moon, we created a little magic and had a blast doing it. . .

Floral Design :: Moss to Moon

Chalk Art :: Mystics + Mint

Design and Styling :: Alice + Laura

let's chalk about it

I have had an obsession with lettering my entire life! Yes, I was that girl that would write song lyrics on the front of my binder and get all excited about deciding which font I was going to write "Biology" in on my book cover. I loved the look of plain old craft paper with creative lettering in the center. . . nerd alert. But little did I know that I would end up doing it for work as an adult! I am lucky enough to work on the visual team for Anthropologie, where I get to do arts and crafts every day. A few weeks back I got to use my love for all things chalk and create chalkboards for display in the store. . .

This tedious little project lit a spark in my creative mojo that got me thinking, more like obsessing over chalk! How many ways can I use chalk and lovely lettering to create art? Oh ya, my mind is still going ape sh*t. . . Anyways, after posting a couple of pics on Instagram and Facebook, I had some of my dear friends reach out with projects of their own that they needed my help with. In I came with chalk, rulers, and font books in hand! The first project that I got started on was a couple of signs for a wedding! I LOVE weddings and all of the love that embodies that special day, so I was super excited to get to put my little touch on the event. Even better was the joy that came out of the bride when I delivered my hand made signs to her. Happiness filled my heart and I drove away feeling so blessed!

{ I can't wait to see + share the pictures from the event}

love birds

Since we are in the heart of wedding season, we thought that we would share some of the magic from my very own special day. I can't believe that this took place almost 7 years ago!! And to make things even more retro. . . all of my wedding pictures were taken on film!! I know, ancient technology here people. I actually find it really special that we have a box of negatives from our wedding!!

Here is a little snapshot on how things went down. . .

the setting, an old flamenco bar in Los Feliz on New Years Eve

a crystal chandelier, hanging votives, and the moon lit the ceremony to perfection

 curly willow and honeysuckle vines spiraled into a magical archway

 black dahlias, red roses, and hydrangeas were dripping throughout

 the flamenco stage was a perfect setting for our home movies

we sprinkled in vintage brooches, red velvet, and peacock feathers

every wedding needs a sexy burlesque show

a photo booth made for amazing entertainment!

and here we are, the love birds.

wedding photography: rikka zimmerman / flowers and decor: moss to moon / 

wedding venue: el cid / event design: mystics and mint