Festival-Going In Style
Posted by wiserobot on 07/04/2017
Whether you’re a Burner or on your way to Summerfest, a Jazz aficionado or Newport Folk Festival fan, upcoming festivals represent a pinnacle of outdoor venues, with a variety of conditions and terrains. Between sand and grass, the challenge is how to sit between your danceathons so you can listen to music comfortably, hang with friends and enjoy the scene – with anticipated protection from the elements.
Even if you aren’t attending one of the top listed annual festivals, you’ll likely find yourself in similar situations during local events – at a town fair, Fourth of July celebration or any outdoor gathering with notable entertainment on the horizon. Luna contributors and Burning Man/Coachella veterans Leah Forrester and Angelina Carrera can be seen here with all the right accessories, using their usual California beach hangouts as their pre-festival warm-up. Here’s how we recommend you pack – and build – your Luna camp!
BYOT: Bring Your Own Tapestry
They provide shield and shade, quickly dry if they get wet; add padding, perimeter, and dimension to any sitting space, anywhere, and bring décor galore to the outdoors. Tapestries are the MVP of festival going! You will likely use them for everything. Between spreading them out to form an official “camp” area, to using one in the evening wrapped around your shoulders, or draping a small tent to block the sun, tapestries should be considered essential packing – you can’t have too many. Textiles and block prints are in our roots here at Luna Bazaar, so we relish layering pattern on pattern, and color on color, as a way to immediately invite people into the eclectic mix.
Tapestries offer a throwback to the sixties, with a bohemian casualness that festivals themselves embody. And the best part about tapestries? Spills and stains don’t stand out amidst their vibrant patterns. And we all know festivals can be all day (as well as all night!) adventures, with multiple meals and libations throughout, so to have a canvas for sitting, eating, singing and dancing – that doesn’t show much wear and tear – that is a hero product in our mind.
Pillow Party
If you want to take your camp up a notch, just add pillows. More than any other décor accessory, when people see pillows, they feel at home, taken care of, comfortable and happy to stay-a-while. Our Shibori pillows are flying off the shelves here, due to their distinct pattern and flexibility against almost any other color or design story. Festival style is meant to be a hodge-podge, a mix of colors and patterns that create a symphony of style that’s less designed, but no less intentional. Our mandala pillows are also becoming a haute favorite, and do the same thing; add comfortable dimension. Festivals are easy-going affairs, with a built-in “no fuss” attitude – which is why you want this bohemian, unpracticed approach to festival décor. It’s authentic and easy to achieve.
Photo Credit: Craig Arend Coachella Fashion
Mobile Coverage
The sun, while one of the best parts of a summer festival, is also the most unrelenting element, second only to wind. May we suggest a parasol for a little protection? This easy-to-pack accessory will do just the trick in mitigating glare, heat, and exposure, and provide sunscreen on the go – from stage to stage or during impromptu socializing. With so many colors to choose from, a group of parasols stands out as a band of stylishly appointed festival goers! Ours are solidly constructed, and can even stand up to a little wind and minor drizzle, should some come your way.
So, why wait? Get ready to get down with laid back style – the would-be envy of Coachella & Bonnaroo, whether you’re wandering the festival circuit or enjoying festivities closer to home!
Anita Mandala
Throw Pillow
Hand-painted Peacock
Paper Parasol
Indigo Blue Haloes
Shibori Throw Pillow
Golden Hours Entertaining Ideas
Posted by wiserobot on 05/30/2017
Is there anything quite as thrilling as the realization that weather patterns have shifted, and the day has become longer and lighter? Finally, the hours after work until bedtime mean outdoor entertaining and time with friends. We call this unique window the magic hour, when the sun fills the atmosphere with golden light, no matter where you live in the western hemisphere.
It begins at around 4 pm; the sun starts it’s beautiful shift, with about three hours left in the sky. We see this as Mother Nature’s invitation to step out and create a celebration, to nourish through social connection away from our screens – and to bask in the glow of a cherished season. If anyone knows about how to appreciate this light, it’s the creative team here at Luna Bazaar. Today we share a few suggestions on making the most of this precious communion with nature.
Take mercury glass out of décor storage (or get yourself some from our stunning collection) and be sure to replenish candles & tea lights, so you aren’t caught empty handed at dusk. We always find ourselves besotted with our gold vessels of various sizes – and in this case, a cluster of them looks incredible sunlit and juxtaposed against driftwood or other natural elements.
Whether it’s just you and yours, or you’ve wrangled neighbors to stop by, be ready for spontaneous twilight festivities. You may not have time to do much décor set up when it comes to good weather, so keep your outdoor space clean and picked up from the last time (bye bye leftover wine corks and muddy rain boots!). People love the last minute invitation for a drink and nibble, so keep good cheeses, crackers, olives, veggies and an enticing spread or dip on hand – with plates and doilies that enhance their presentation.
A table runner, tapestry or throw pillow adds color and texture to outdoor gatherings. We love to layer our mandala tapestries with hand block printed and embroidered pillows. Make sure textiles are clean and folded in a nearby closet, with pillows readily on hand for distribution!
Oh, and speaking of pillows, we love matching and stacking a variety from our collection if event chairs and seating are in short supply.
Luna contributor Leah Forester takes a moment with her daughter, a one-on-one catch up after school. You don’t always need a special occasion to spruce up the deck – life’s precious details are reason enough! Beautifying your dwellings and outdoor spaces means you’ll want to be there, more often, sharing moments with the people who matter most.
Gold Mercury Glass
Candle Holder Set
Bambina Pink
Paper Parasol
Bhavanna Block Printed
Throw Pillow
Setting The Table for Mom
Posted by wiserobot on 05/11/2017
Regular readers know we love an eclectic table, and Mother’s Day is no different! For this occasion, however, you’ll notice our gravitation toward vintage pink, mercury glass, and rose quartz, some of the more feminine combinations in our design reservoir. We love combining the shiny and new with something aged with a patina because table design sets a mood and a standard, and our favorites are those that seem comforting and familiar, yet inspired and inventive. We sat down with Luna Creative Director Katie Flanagan to find out what she’ll be doing for Mother’s Day, and as the busy mother of a preschooler and first grader, her first reply was “Something easy!”
Here, she breaks down her strategy with the hopes that other busy moms (and mom appreciators) will take the pressure off – and get their design chops on!
Pink & Gold
“One of my favorite combinations in our collection is the rose gold decor mixed with gold mercury glass. You almost don’t have to do much else because these two make magic together. I love them because they bring out the best in each other, and you can incorporate candles without worrying about little ones tipping them over, which is essential in my family. The vintage style glassware has been a staff obsession this year, and a favorite of our customers, too! For Mother’s Day, I plan to lay some cherry blossom across the midsection of the table as my centerpiece, with fuschia colored luxe glass candle holders atop our bridal pink table runner.”
Local Flora
“For vases, I use our hurricane lanterns for medium sized wild floral bouquets that I select at the farmer’s market. I might do three down the center of the table and one at the entrance. They’re a great size for anything from tulips to roses to wild greens. I even cut some forsythia and trimmed it down to fit into a hurricane lantern last year around this time. It was stunning!”
Lace Accents
“I used to think doilies were only for my grandmother’s house, but I see the total genius in them now. I place them under almost everything because they fill the table with a lace accent that feels like high tea or brunch in an old world hotel. Our Henrietta Cotton Lace Doilies are my favorite. Under a vintage green or milk glass vase, you achieve a very modern, yet antique look with a minimal effort. The greenery looks gorgeous with all of this – you clip it yourself or find it at a local florist.”
Rest & Relax
“My last tip is not to stress, mamas. Today is your day to enjoy, not to work! So make it easy on yourself with some of my ideas here, and for the rest of the day, book a massage, read a book, hug your children and spend the day thinking of all the reasons you’re amazing. Because you are!”
Mother’s Day Gift Guide:
Vintage Pink
Ruffled Vase
Hand-dyed Linen Marble Throw Pillows
Hurricane Candle
Holders & Vases
Springtime Soirees
Posted by wiserobot on 04/23/2017
When we create a ceremony outdoors, it’s best to give particular attention to designing décor anchors – so our guests know where to gather, especially in venues that are vast, wild or uncontained. From weddings to bridal showers to graduation parties, summer takes the stage when it comes to tapping into Mother Nature’s bounty. Tablescapes are the most obvious place to start because we eat, drink, toast and bond over tables. So why not make the conversation more interesting with strong centerpieces?
Luna Bazaar contributor Angelina Carrera hosted a magical party at Grassini Family Vineyards in Happy Canyon (of all places), located in Santa Barbara, CA. We love the decorative accents she styled around our latest Rose Gold Collection and the any-season colors she chose. Here, she shares tips on creating jaw-dropping celebration tables for the coming months, with an emphasis on romancing guests with the right feeling, mood, and flavor.
Wild Florals:
Whether decorating for a wedding or similar type of momentous occasion, romance is an element that everyone wants – but that few know how to create without feeling a bit forced. I did it here by emphasizing wild greenery in my floral décor – sort of an untamed, passionate approach to designing flowers. When floral feels fixed, measured or overly planned, it can be lovely – but it’s not as emotional or magical. In this case, I foraged some of it and bought some of it. Depending on the season, you can set out with a pair of clippers and find a ton of optimal greenery – or source it at a florist. The idea is to forget formalities and be brave and easygoing with your greens. Let them tell you where to go, and use a vase that can accommodate the weight of greens, with flowers in the middle.
Material Elements:
Wood makes so much sense outdoors, as do stones, sand, shells, and branches. Here, I placed a wooden cheeseboard under the tabletop décor elements, on top of a weathered outdoor table of a different age and grain. I loved pairing the two because it made for an interesting texture that was warm and inviting – and a little unexpected. I wanted just an inch or so of height to the centerpiece, and this wood slat accomplished that, raising the votives and food just the slightest bit for effect.
Place Settings:
Juxtaposition is everything in design, and it’s no different outside. I focused on a wild, romantic center, which means I could afford to be more formal and vintage with candle holders, glassware and place settings. Between gold utensils, beveled glass and antique china, the contrasts felt homey but also sophisticated. Add the mercury glass glow – mixed metallic’s bouncing off the natural light – and it’s a whimsical, really intimate look that made everyone want to be there and stay there.
Rose Gold Décor:
The wonder child of modern tablescapes! You almost can’t go wrong with this color, and what’s better – you can use it in any season, whether indoor, outdoor, underground – it thrives in the light or dark. I wanted a familiar, happy feeling for this gathering of old friends and extended family – something warm and cozy. I mixed and matched with classic gold mercury glass and vintage pink decorations to create this timeless look. Rose Gold makes everything glow, including the guests. Everyone’s cheeks look flushed and rosy. It’s the best when a design does more than you plan for – that surprises and solves problems that you didn’t know you had. Rose Gold decorations make magic wherever you place them!
Gold Violet Mini Mercury Glass Vase Set of 3
Ophelia Vintage Pink Glass Tealight Holder
Gold Grace Mercury Glass Swirled Candlestick
