I seriously, seriously love floral crowns. They are perfect for weddings, wedding showers, maternity shoots, baby showers, newborn photos or just because! I have made suggestions on outfits with which you can style a beautiful floral crown at the bottom of this post.
Ever since I started my Floral Arranging 101 class, I’ve been motivated to create my own. I have read a number of DIYs (like this, this and this), and decided to give it a try! At first, I thought about doing a little one for Isla (she’s already worn this one in her newborn photos), but decided to do an adult-sized one and I’m so glad I did! I will admit that this DIY is perhaps not the most technical (as I use a hot glue gun, which would make many florists cringe!), but it works! Read the process below:
I went to the grocery store and picked up some cremones and carnations. Then I went to my front yard and cut down some foliage for fillers – you can also find these in the floral department of your local grocery store.
I cut all of the flowers so that they had 2-3 inch stems and then laid everything out on the island and placed it in the order I wanted for the crown.
I took an 18 gauge floral wire and bent one end about half an inch from the end and thread one of the carnations through – it is important to use a thick stem flower versus a piece of foliage at the end.
I then began to add the flowers and foliage by wrapping floral tape around the base and the floral gauge – laying the pieces along the length of the wire. When I got to a carnation or a cremone, I would take the wire through the stem of the flower versus the side layering technique.
Tip: As mentioned earlier, I also used a hot glue gun to secure some of the floral tape to the wire, and in some instances, to glue the bushy leaves to the wire.
When I finished filling the floral wire with flowers, I cut two pieces of cream ribbon 7 inches in length. Put a dot of hot glue on one end of each strand of ribbon and secure it to the end of the wire. Once the glue is dried, you can put it on your head and tie a bow at the back!
You can extend the life of your crown significantly by storing it in a drawer in your refrigerator. Mine lasted four days, then some of the flowers started to wither. Make sure you start the process with the freshest florals you can find.
Arrange all flowers in the order you’d like them on the crown, then thread them through the floral wire (steps 3-5 above)
Add the ribbon to the ends and tie, then voilà… a beautiful floral crown!
We left for Mexico City with friends of ours early Thursday morning and landed around 10am. Our fully-packed agenda started almost immediately after checking into the Meridien Hotel (located near the Paseo de la Reforma – see more below). We were in town for one of my best friend’s weddings – her and her husband are both from Central America, and chose this gorgeous city for the wedding – I am so glad they did.
I’ve created a travel guide to inspire you to travel to Mexico City and then help you plan your trip! Many of the recommendations below are from my older sister’s good friend, Marina, who is from Mexico City and also got married there earlier this year. We also received tips from a friend’s uncle who visits there often, and from a fellow blogger, Ashton, whose wedding site was extremely useful in planning our long weekend.
Castillo de Chapultepec (“Chapultepec Castle”): Chapultepec Castle is located on top of Chapultepec Hill, located in the middle of Chapultepec Park at a height of 7,628 ft. above sea level. The site of the hill was a sacred place for Aztecs, and the buildings atop it have served several purposes during its history, including that of Military Academy, Imperial residence, Presidential home, observatory, and presently, the Museo Nacional de Historia. The castile is gorgeous and definitely worth the slight trek through the park.
Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology): This museum is the most visited in Mexico. Located in the area between Paseo de la Reforma and Calle Mahatma Gandhi within Chapultepec Park, the museum contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from the pre-Columbian heritage of Mexico, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) and the 16th-century Aztec statue of Xochipilli.
Alameda Central Park: The Alameda Central park is a green garden with paved paths and decorative fountains and statues, and is frequently the center of civic events. The area used to be an Aztec marketplace. The park was created in 1592, and the name comes from the Spanish word álamo, which means poplar tree.
Casa de los Azulejos (“House of Tiles”): The House of Tile is an 18th-century palace which was built by the Count del Valle de Orizaba family. What makes this palace distinctive is that its facade on three sides is completely covered in the expensive blue and white tile of Puebla state. The palace remained in private hands until near the end of the 19th century. It changed hands several times before being bought by brothers who expanded their soda fountain/drugstore business into one of the best-recognized restaurant chains in Mexico called Sanborns. The house today serves as their flagship restaurant.
Zocalo: Zocalo is the main plaza of Mexico City, and it was once the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and from the colonial period on, the main plaza or square in the heart of the historic center of the city. The plaza used to be known simply as the “Main Square” or “Arms Square,” and today its formal name is Plaza de la Constitución. However, it is almost always called the Zócalo today. Plans were made to erect a column as a monument to Independence, but only the base, or zócalo, was ever built.
Frida Kahlo Museum: Also known as La Casa Azul (or Blue House), the museum is actually the house where she was born and also died. The nickname, Blue House, is due to the structure’s cobalt-blue walls. The historic house museum and art museum is dedicated to the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It is located in the Colonia del Carmen neighborhood of Coyoacán. The building was the birthplace of Kahlo and is also the home where she grew up, lived with her husband Diego Rivera for a number of years, and eventually died, in one of the rooms on the upper floor. In 1958, Diego Rivera donated the home and its contents in order to turn it into a museum in Frida’s honor.
Neighborhood Guides
Click here for a Google map of the main attractions and restaurants
Colonia Polanco
Do and See
This neighborhood is known for nice shops, great restaurants and good people watching. Popular activities in this neighborhood include going on a walk through Parque Lincoln and down Ave. Masaryk for good shopping. Stop by Tane on Ave. Masaryk for silver jewelry and home decorations, or visit the outdoor shopping mall Antara where you will find a few stores not available in the US (Purificacion Garcia, Uterque, Massimo Dutti and Rapsodia). Another one of the main attractions is Castillo de Chapultepec, which is the beautiful castle in the Chapultepec Park. Enjoy the view from the top while you learn about the history of Colonial Mexico. Nearby, you’ll find the National Museum of Anthropology and The Museum of Modern Art.
These neighboring colonia’s are known for their architecture – a lot of the streets are similar to ones you would find in Europe. Walk down Colima Street, Orizaba Street, Parque Rio de Janeiro, Parque Mexico, Parque Espana, Casa Lamm and Ave. Alvaro Obregon for gorgeous scenery.
Do and See
Every Sunday, Paseo de la Reforma is closed to cars until 2pm which makes it the perfect day to walk (or bike) from Polanco to the Historic Center. Walk through Alameda Central Park and arrive at Bellas Artes, the performing arts center. Take the Street 5 de Mayo, where you will pass by the House of Tiles, a few blocks to the Zocalo (Constitutional Plaza). Visit the Cathedral, National Palace (with murals by Diego Rivera inside) and Templo Mayor. Stop by Dulceria de Celaya, which is a very cute candy shop with over 150 different types of Mexican candy
Get drinks at Bar Milan – their mojitos are legendary, and this bar is voted one of the best in the city.
Colonia San Angel
Do and See
This neighborhood is known for its narrow cobblestone streets and is an oasis in otherwise bustling Mexico City. You should visit the Frida Kahlo Museum in the nearby suburb, Coyoacan. In addition, go to the market on Saturday – so many amazing gems to be found.
Eat
Enjoy Sunday brunch at the San Angel Inn and eat at Keizo for lunch or dinner.
Tips when visiting Mexico City
Money: The easiest Peso denominations to carry around are 20 (blue) 50 and 100 (red). Once you break some 100 peso notes, you’ll have some 10 peso and 5 peso coins, which are good for tipping.
Water: The trick to staying hydrated while visiting Mexico City is to buy several liter bottles of purified water at one of the local convenience stores and carry one wherever you go. There is a big convenience store chain called OXXO, and they are everywhere. There are also tons of independent grocery/convenience stores called abarrotes (which means groceries). They are everywhere and mostly look like a storage room filled with junk – but they sell everything and all have an abarrotes sign out front. There will be an OXXO or an abarrote store within a block of your hotel.
Taxis: Make sure to take hotel taxis, and try to make an arrangement with one to use him for the whole day. Ask the hotel concierge to quote the price of your journey if you’re taking a private car without a meter. Also, when you are at a restaurant or bar, ask your waiter or the maître ‘d to call a cab for you. This is common practice and safe. Also, make sure that you tip the doorman, cab drivers, etc. a blue note (100 pesos or about 80 cents) or a red note (200 pesos).
Attire: People dress up to go out at night – it’s a very well-dressed city.
Sidewalks: Walking on sidewalks in Mexico is a heads up experience. There are always sharp objects, wires, rebar and hard stuff hanging off roofs, doors, walls and telephone poles that are easy to walk right into, as there are holes, cracks and trip hazards on the sidewalks. Walk slowly and pay attention to where you’re stepping. Also, remember that cars rule in Mexico City, so cross at lights and look both ways if you decide to step off the curb.
It is no secret that I love St-Germain liqueur. It was the ‘her’ drink at our wedding (see menu below), and I missed it a lot during my pregnancy. Now that I’m breastfeeding, I can only have it in small amounts, which is why I made this delicious French 75 recipe in a champagne flute-proportion (also because it’s pretty with the garnish!). If you’re also breastfeeding, I highly recommend these Milkscreen Alcohol Detection Strips!
McKenzie and I used to go to my favorite bar in Houston, Anvil, when we lived together and always ordered French 75s. They were amazing (and strong!). It was made with champagne, lemon juice, simple syrup and gin. Instead of using simple syrup to sweeten it, I decided to use lemon flavored La Croix, as there is no sugar in the drink (healthy perk!). I decided to mix a little St-Germain into the recipe and ohmygosh, yes. It works. It’s delicious, and I highly recommend that you try it.
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Prosecco, Brut champagne, or dry sparkling wine
It may sound ridiculous to anyone who does not have kids or is not pregnant, but the first year monthly photos are a pretty big deal, and deciding how you will style and take them is something that takes a bit of consideration. Will you buy cute little stickers and put them on a pillow (like these: Lucy Darling Monthly Onesie Stickers) or on a plain onesie? Or will you style a photo using wooden blocks to spell out the months (like this cute photo)?
As you can see from the photos below, I decided to buy The Wedding Chicks’Genny Monthly Onesies, and I’m so glad that I did. All twelve months have different cute fonts and you can select from a wide variety of colors. I cannot wait to put all 12 pictures next to each other to see how much she changed throughout her first year. The Wedding Chicks also have Ombre Monthly Onesies and Modern Monthly Onesies – I love them all.
I discovered The Wedding Chicks while planning our wedding a year and a half ago and immediately became addicted. I bought hankerchiefs for our flower girls and my dad, and recently bought Isla one after she was born to give her at her wedding. I am about to order Isla this onesie, as every Texas gal needs it!
I also love customizing totes and gift bags for engagement, wedding and birthday gifts. The prices are so reasonable, and it is such a nice touch to have a personalized present. Their selection of customizable baby bibs, onesies and shirts are so cute.
If you’re like me, you’ll want everything in the store, and fortunately, you can get it all for 40% off today (Friday, September 5) through next Friday, September 12. All you need to do is go to Shop.WeddingChicks.com, load up your shopping cart, and use promo code ‘SMTPromo‘ when checking out.
Have a great weekend and enjoy your shopping! If you have Instagram, I’d love if you followed my new blog account!
She has grown so much in the past two months! See Month 1 and Month 2
Week two of my Floral Arranging 101 with Nicole’s Classes has come and gone, and the homework assignment was to create a wild English garden arrangement. Our instructor’s example (see top photo) is literally to die for. I want her talent! Like I said last week, the local Durango flower and vase options are very limited, so I couldn’t produce as fancy an arrangement; however, I chose a bold colored tulip as my focal flower and ran with it.
I absolutely adore tulips (second favorite, to peonies, and runner-up to garden roses). I dug into my wedding pinboards and found some of my favorite tulip bouquets and arrangements. They also make for the perfect desk decoration – I’ll be sharing my favorite office spaces next week! I can’t wait.
Lastly, the winner of the BABYBJÖRNCarrier We giveaway is Vanessa W. Congratulations! Make sure you enter the BabyLit giveaway by midnight tonight and use code ‘Isla’ to receive 40% off at BabyLit.com. Have a wonderful weekend!
