A Succulent Tea Party

A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…

We recently styled a fun little photo shoot that we just have to share with you.  My niece, Indy (Krista's daughter), is starting Kindergarten next week, so Krista really wanted to do one last photo shoot that embodied her as a "little girl." She knew for sure that she wanted her to wear a flower crown with big flowers and an ivory lace dress. Other than that, she wasn't really sure about the setting or location.  We put our heads together and came up with a succulent tea party in the woods with her favorite teddy bear! Krista made Indy's flower crown using my Succulent Crown Tutorial, and handmade her dress as well. You can find her DIY Little Lace Dress tutorial here.  We had way too much fun with all the little details and hope you enjoy these "behind the scenes" photos. 

A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…
A Succulent Tea Party via Needles + Leaves :: we styled this photo shoot with succulents in a teapot, teacups, mason jars, a bell jar, and terra cotta pots. :: flowers, roses, daisies, babies breath:: vintage inspired owl, reused, repurposed, s…

DIY Little Lace Dress

DIY Little Lace Dress via Needles + Leaves

When planning my daughter Indy's last photo shoot before starting Kindergarten, I knew I wanted two things for sure: a fresh flower crown and to make her dress myself.  For her flower crown, I simply followed Tawni's DIY Succulent Crown tutorial using real fresh flowers instead of succulents.  As for her dress, I started by buying fabric that I thought would be pretty and went from there.  I made the dress about an hour before the shoot and it was so simple I thought I should share it as a DIY.

Diy Little Lace Dress and Flower Crown via Needles + Leaves

Supplies I Used:

Ivory Thread

1 1/2 yards Ivory Cotton Fabric

2 yards Ivory Lace Fabric

Ivory Zipper

Fabric Scissors

Tape Measure  

Sewing Pins

1. I started by measuring my daughter. She is 4 1/2 years old and very petite so make sure to take your own measurements as well. 

These are her measurements:

  • Total length of the dress: 25" long.  (from the top of her chest to her ankles) 
  • Total for the top bodice: 4 1/2"  long.
  • Total circumference for top bodice: 21" (I decided to make the dress a tube top, so I wanted the bodice very tight.) 
  • Total for the lace skirt bottom: 21" long x 45" wide.

2. After taking these measurements I started cutting. I began with the cotton fabric.

For the bodice I needed to cut a piece 4 1/2 L. x 10 1/2" W. I folded the fabric in half and cut 2 pieces at a time.

DIY Girls Lace Dress

The ivory fabric I bought was a bit see through so I needed to make the dress double layered. If you are using a darker color or a thicker fabric you can skip to step 4.

3. You will need to cut another 2 pieces. 2 for the front and 2 for the back to make it double layered.  Once you made your first cut in step 2, just lay that piece on the fabric and cut again.

DIY Girls Lace Dress

Now you have your front and back for the bodice! 

DIY Girls Lace Dress

4.  Next we can cut the fabric for the skirt portion. The skirt is also two layers. The bottom layer is the cotton fabric and the top layer is the lace. I laid the lace fabric on top of the cotton fabric so that I could cut them together.  Now I cut both fabrics together 21" L. x 45" W.

DIY Girls Lace Dress

Now that we are done with cutting, We can start sewing!  

5. Let's start with the bodice, If you are doubling up the layers, we need to sew them together individually first. Take 2 of the 4 pieces we cut in the beginning, pin them together and sew along 3 of the 4 sides a 1/4" seam leaving the bottom unsewn. Now turn it right side out. Repeat with the other 2 pieces.
*If you are not doubling up your fabric, start by folding down the top of your 2 pieces of fabric 1/2" and iron. Then sew a 1/4" seam. 


To finish the bodice pin the 2 finished pieces together along the left and right sides and sew together to create a tube.

You can leave the bottom of the bodice unfinished because the lace skirt will be sew on top.  

DIY Girls Lace Dress

6. Next we can attached the bodice to the lace skirt. Start by pinning the lace and cotton we cut earlier to the bodice in the back.  I pleated it 1/2" apart to make the dress flow better all the way around. The skirt will start to overlap. This will help the dress close in the back. 

DIY Girls Lace Dress
DIY Girls Lace Dress

7. Now start sewing the top and bottom together.   

DIY Girls Lace Dress

Here you have the sewn bodice!

DIY Girls Lace Dress

8. Now we have the zipper, first you need to trim your zipper to the length you want on the dress. I trimmed mine to about 11". Fold your dress inside out and unzip the zipper. (not all the way.. the zipper will come off!) lay the zipper on the dress and cut a straight line down the back of the dress about an inch from the end of the zipper. Now pin your unzipped zipper to the dress and sew.

DIY Girls Lace Dress
DIY Little Lace Dress via Needles + Leaves

9. For a little extra cuteness I added a little strip of lace to the front of the bodice.  I didn't want to sew to much on the lace so I sewed it along the sides and a a few stitches in the middle. 

DIY Girls Lace Dress

10. Viola! We have a little lace dress. The dress was exactly what I imagined and it looked adorable on Indy!  I hope you enjoyed following along in this tutorial! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or need help! Check out our stylized photo shoot featuring this dress. Find me on Instagram under @kristaandleaves or  @needlesandleaves.

DIY Girls Lace Dress via Needles + Leaves

Succulent Cafe Oceanside: A Living Masterpiece

Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves

Coffee and succulents are two of my favorite things, so when Krista told me about the new Succulent Cafe in Oceanside, I almost exploded with excitement!  The cafe is located at 322 North Cleveland Street in a courtyard adjacent to Apotheque Lifestyle Spa. You know you've arrived when you see this magical wall of succulents.

Succulent Cafe Oceanside located adjacent to the Apotheque Lifestyle Spa.

As you enter the outdoor garden style cafe, you immediately realize this isn't just a coffee shop that also sells plants. The entire cafe is a living work of art as you are surrounded by a wall to wall succulent masterpiece.  I recently had the privilege of sitting down with owner and creative mastermind Peter Loyola. 

Peter's passion for succulents began in his own backyard. Unsure if he wanted a cactus or succulent garden, he decided to go with succulents because he thought they would be safer for his kids.  As his garden grew, he began making little arrangements to sell at his sister's bakery on Valentine's Day and Mother's day.  He would make 50 to 60 arrangements which would sell out every time.  After being asked to share some succulent pieces at the Oceanside Days of Art, Peter quickly realized that succulents actually have a fan base and that his arrangements were in fact viewed as works of art.  People would constantly ask him if he had a website, business card or store and the answer was always "no".  Naturally, he decided to open a succulent garden where he could sell his arrangements year round. 

One day while walking downtown, Peter spied the unused courtyard outside the Apotheque Spa. He approached the owner, inquired about the space, showed them his work and they agreed.  From the positioning of the sun and pleasant ocean breeze, to the historic building as a backdrop, the space was absolutely perfect for his succulent garden.  

Although the initial thought was to make it a garden, Peter decided to combine his love of serving coffee with his passion for succulents and I'm so glad he did. The Succulent Cafe is total perfection.  From the quiet music to the gorgeous succulents, the entire ambiance makes you want to come back again and again.  Peter hopes that his cafe can be part of changing the face of downtown Oceanside.  He says, "I've created this space primarily to offer a peaceful relaxing place not only for locals, but for tourists and visitors.  I chose Oceanside because I live here and I'd love to be a small part of making it a better place." 

Peter is all about supporting local businesses and artists. He buys all of his plants from local nurseries and his coffee beans come from Revolution Roaster in Leucadia.  On the weekends, he welcomes local musicians to perform and local artists to display their work.  Peter is so humble and friendly, I wish nothing but the best for him and his amazing cafe.  

I had the pleasure of photographing the cafe, but honestly, these photos do not do it justice! If you are in the area, please stop by for a visit. You will be so happy you did!

 

Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Vertical Succulent Wall Art at Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
This vertical frame succulent wall was voted best plant art by San Diego Magazine, August 2013 issue. 

This vertical frame succulent wall was voted best plant art by San Diego Magazine, August 2013 issue. 

Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulent Cafe Oceanside Vertical Pallet Succulent Garden via Needles + Leaves
Air Plants at the Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Vertical Succulent Frame Wall at Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulents in Jeans at the Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves 
Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
 Hanging Succulent Arrangements at Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves
Succulent Cafe Oceanside via Needles + Leaves

Like the Succulent Cafe on Facebook and follow them on Instagram @succulentcafeoceanside for more info.