Author Archives: Mariel

Wanderlust

Posted in Quotes, Travel by

This time last week, Bobby and I were waking up in the cozy Norwegian village of Flam. Nestled between two towering cliffs carved out by glaciers, it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular destination. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been!

After a scenic train ride and a visit to a local brewery with my family, we took a breathtaking boat ride through some of Norway’s most stunning fjords. A few hungry seagulls joined us as we cruised the narrow waterway, catching glimpses of one towering waterfall after the other. It was gorgeous! The scenery was so green and pure… afterwards we declared the fjords a “must-see” of any Norwegian adventure.

We spent the rest of our trip exploring the city of Oslo and hanging out at my parents’ chic downtown apartment. Oslo is such a charming city. There’s several famous Munch paintings to admire, impressive Vigeland sculptures to see, and infinite espressos to sip. Yet it’s not an intimidating city to visit at all. The people are lovely and friendly, so I can see why my mom loves living here so much. :) I hope to go back someday soon!

Norway fjord travel. Quote by Mark Twain via One Charming Life

Mark Twain definitely gets my love of traveling. This quote is pretty perfect set against a picture from the fjord, don’t you think? :) Here’s a few more pictures from our boat adventure…

Norwegian fjord. Picture from One Charming Life

Village in Norwegian fjord. Picture from One Charming LifeNorwegian fjord. Picture from One Charming Life

Norwegian seagulls. Picture from One Charming Life.

Happy travels!

XO, Mariel

Stamped with Love

Posted in DIY, Party, Wedding by

Looking for a way to customize your next event? Using rubber stamps to personalize a party is both brilliant and affordable. Stamps are very versatile; you can choose from a variety of styles and colors to create the perfect combination for your party’s theme.

Below are a few pictures of how I incorporated an ‘S’ motif throughout my own wedding using a custom stamp. I am so thankful that my coordinator, Kelly from Eventology Weddings, gave me this genius idea!

The stamp was so easy to use. Before I knew it I had covered everything from thank you notes, cocktail napkins and kraft paper cones for our rose petal send-off. Even though the touches were small, I loved that our guests were able to hold something that was handmade by me.

The custom ‘S’ motif was designed by the incredibly talented Lindsay Letters. The actual rubber stamp was made by babyjewels on etsy.

The Luckiest

Posted in Charming, Wedding by

My husband and I are celebrating our first anniversary today. It’s still sounds crazy to say… I can’t believe a year has already gone by! We’ve spent the past couple of days traveling down memory lane and looking back on our favorite moments from the big day. We are so lucky to have found each other, but even more blessed to have our lovely friends and family by our sides. We love you!

Bobby chose the song for our first dance, The Luckiest by Ben Folds. I can’t get enough of it and have had it on repeat all day. I truly am the luckiest! Cheers to many more beautiful anniversaries to come.

XO, Mariel

mariel and bobby's wedding - the luckiest

photo by hazel west photography

Speaking of our wedding…Houston Brides ran a brief feature of our wedding last December. If you’re looking for more wedding action you can read the story online via Hazel West Photography.

{P.S. sorry to those of you who received an email notification earlier today about this post… I accidentally hit ‘publish’ instead of ‘save’. Rookie mistake.}  ;)

Celebrate with Stripes

Posted in DIY, Free Printable, Holiday by

I can’t believe July is here! That means the fourth is right around the corner. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to add a touch of preppy patriotism to your holiday, I might be able to help. I’ve created four tags that you can download, print and trim in less than ten minutes. They’re a great way to make your fourth of July a bit more festive.

You could tie these navy and red tags around a gift bag with a piece of bakers twine, or attach them using staples. They’d also be cute wrapped around a bottle of wine as a hostess gift. Use your creativity and have fun!

Free Printable! Instructions for downloading and printing are below.*

Happy Fourth - 4th of July Free Printable Tag from One Charming Life

4th of July Free Preppy Printable Tag from One Charming Life

DIY Free download - July 4th Tags - Stripes & Glitter

{Stars and Stripes} 4th of July Tag - Free Printable{Happy Fourth} 4th of July Tag - Free Printable

{4th of July} 4th of July Tag - Free Printable

{Celebrate} 4th of July Tag - Free Printable


Instructions:

1) Right-click on each image to download and save it to your computer.

2) Print each tag onto white card stock using the high-quality print settings on your home printer.

3) Using a paper cutter (or scissors), carefully cut out each rectangle following the grey guide lines on each corner. Be sure to trim within the guide lines.

4) Now it’s time to get creative. Punch a hole or two at the top, embellish with glitter and tie a bow with ribbon or twine.

5) Add the tag to your 4th of July gift or use as a decoration in your home!

Size: 

2.5 inches x 4 inches

◊

*Tags are for personal use only, not for commercial use.  

© 2012 OneCharmingLife.com

Patriotic Picnic

Posted in Holiday, Inspiration, Party by

July 4th is a special holiday for me and my husband. We love watching the HUGE firework display near downtown Houston. This year, I’m thinking this striped blanket from Williams-Sonoma would be perfect for us to lounge on. We’re currently obsessed with Izzes, so I’m sure we’ll grab two of those along with dessert from Whole Foods before heading out to watch the show.

With the holiday falling on a Wednesday this year, it’s going to be hard to get out of town. So if you can stand the heat, it’s a great time to pack up a yummy picnic and head outdoors to your favorite local park.

These adorable goods will help you get started. Don’t forget to pack your favorite foods and a kite or football to throw around while you wait for fireworks!

How will you be celebrating this fourth of July?

Chic supplies for a 4th of July Picnic

Sources:  sparkling blueberry Izze from Whole Foods, or Amazon, $5.99 for 4  ~  striped navy party straws from the tomkat studio, $4.50 for 24 straws ~  wooden utensils from Anthropologie  ~  picnic white dinner plate from Crate & Barrel Outlet, $2.95  each ~  rustic european picnic blanket from Williams-Sonoma, $29  ~  wire picnic basket from Pottery Barn, $99

Pretty Place Cards

Posted in Lettering, Place cards by

Kraft paper bracket place cards with white lettering and pearl detail

A while ago, I had the chance to create these simple yet charming place cards for a good friend of mine. She was hosting a vintage-themed brunch and asked me to help out with styling the table. I was more than happy to lend a hand!

After purchasing the bracket-shaped squares from etsy, I decorated them with a white pen and added a tiny adhesive pearl. They were rather quick to make but I love how they turned out. I have quite a few squares left over, so I’m thinking they’d be great to use as tags on a gift or party favor… look out for these in a future post. :)

Want to make something similar for your next party? You can find the supplies I used below. Etsy is filled with pretty paper tags in countless colors and styles that would be perfect for a project like this.

Neon Fever

Posted in Inspiration, Party by

Neon colors are having a major moment right now. That’s why it’s the perfect time to throw a playful party inspired by these brights.

I absolutely love the idea of combining hot pink, bright yellow, neon green and electric blue for a cheerful summer get-together. To pull this party off, all you need is a few of these bright accessories paired with neutral white basics.

Check out the neon inspiration below. It’ll help you throw a party so bright, you won’t want to forget your favorite sunnies. ;)

neon party bright yellow hot pink candy summer trend shower