Chelsea Gets Married

Etsy Wedding Finds

2011-07-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

Etsy is a wonderful place to purchase unique and/or custom items for your wedding. Especially if you're looking to add extra personal touches to your day. From wedding gowns to invitations you can find almost anything wedding-related on Etsy.

our guest book tree with some placed leaves... it filled up well in the end

I wanted to be able to display our guest book instead of putting it in a box and never looking at it again. However, I didn't feel comfortable doing the thumbprint guest book tree because I didn't want to creep out my guests by asking for their finger print so this was my compromise.

The leaves are self-adhesive. Guests sign the leaves and stick them onto the tree. I highly recommend having guest book attendants to aid guests in the process. You are going to be hanging this on your wall and you don't want a wonky looking tree.

The custom guest book tree I purchased is made by Absinthe Custom Printing.

I wanted to have a custom wedding gown label because I thought it was a fun tradition. I purchased a quatrefoil label with my initials and our wedding date. I went with the quatrefoil because it's the symbol of my college sorority. My seamstress sewed it into the bottom side seam of my dress in case I wanted to show it to someone at the wedding.

The custom wedding gown label I purchased is made by Initial Impressions.

I always wanted to wear a flower in my hair. Choosing the right flower was the hardest decision for me-- the right color, size, look... I finally went with a 4" peony (my favorite flower) made of white silk and white sheer with a rhinestone center.

The hair flower I purchased is made by Silver Pencils.

our guests loved our cake topper -- most had never seen one like ours

I wanted a customized topper that looked like Brad and me. And I couldn't forget Jack. After searching for a while I stumbled upon Lynn's Little Creations.

Lynn makes custom toppers starting at $65 for the couple (add $5-$10 per pet, depending on size). Most custom toppers I've seen are easily $100-$500+.

I wanted to get our program and guestbook attendants a little something to say thanks for being part of our special day. I decided on rose resin earrings because I think they're cute and fun.

I purchased their earrings from Once Upon A Peony.

For our favors, we gave our guests sugar cookies from Brad's favorite hometown bakery. They had our college Alma mater's symbol airbrushed onto them. To seal the bags, I purchased these custom stickers from MAU Promos.

I also purchased our cookies bags from an Etsy seller. I mostly bought them because I didn't have to buy 1,000 and they are BOPP (biodegradable, FDA approved for packaging food items; oil and grease resistant; water vapor, gas, and aroma barriers).

To see what size bag would work best for the cookies I was able to order a sampler package of bags from the same seller for less than $3, which was great.

I purchased my resealable BOPP flat cello bags from Artistic Ephemera.

The Wedding {Part Three}

2011-07-19T22:20:00.001-04:00

Ready for a long blog post? Just bear with me, it's the final part of my "The Wedding" Series.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to enjoy much of cocktail hour. After the ceremony, we went back into the reception room and spent about 10 minutes relaxing and signing the marriage license. Then, we took photos with Brad's family, some of my family, and the bridal party for about 30 minutes. When it was finally time to go to the cocktail hour our DOC was saying that we should start getting into place for the receiving line.

We had the receiving line right outside the reception room, so people could go through the receiving line and pick up their escort cards. I know some people are against receiving lines, but I liked the idea of being able to say hello and thanks for coming to all our guests. I'm not a fan of going table to table at receptions because I don't like it when I'm a guest at a wedding and the bride and groom want to come over and say hi to me while I'm eating. That, and I feel like some people get missed because when the bride and groom come to the table some guests may be in the bathroom, getting food, etc. The receiving line was our sure-fire way of saying hi to each and every one of our guests.

After the receiving line, the bridal party and Brad and I lined up for our introductions. Brad's grandpa gave a lovely blessing, and then it was time to eat! The food was delicious. Brad and I both said that we were going to eat at our wedding, so we sampled everything. Once the guests started eating they caught onto the pasta saute bar, which created a crazy long line. Part of the issue was that the caterers weren't going fast enough. The other part of the issue was that it took at least 2 minutes to cook the food. That adds up when you have 10+ people in line... with some people getting a plate for someone else... People were still in line for pasta over an hour after dinner began.

As our guests were eating, Brad and I really should have gotten up and gone and chatted with guests who were finished with dinner at their tables. I tried getting Brad to go with me but he told me to just sit and enjoy everything. (It did feel nice to sit down and relax a little.) Looking back, I feel bad for not getting up off my butt and talking with our guests.

Around 8:30 our DOC told us that we should start the toasts. Our Best Man, Andrew, and Maid of Honor, Natalie, gave wonderful speeches. But if it were a competition (and I may be biased), Natalie would have won. Her toast made everyone laugh and brought me to tears.

Then it was time to get up and cut the cake! As I was getting up, I noticed that I had BBQ sauce across the bottom of the front of my dress! Like 7-8 dime to quarter sized dots in a row! I remember saying, "Oh my god... Oh my god... How did that happen? Get the baby wipes," to my Maid of Honor. She didn't know what was going on until I showed her. I asked her how this could have happened because there was no way I spilled it on myself-- this part of my dress was under the table while I was eating. She said that as the catering people were setting up one of them dropped an entire bottle of BBQ sauce and it got all over the tablecloth at the mini-pulled pork sandwich station. She said that they merely turned the table around so it wasn't as noticeable. Well, when I was at this station I went on that side of the table and my dress touched the tablecloth where the BBQ sauce was. I was upset because the spilling of the BBQ sauce could have been handled much better. Luckily, the baby wipes got most of the BBQ sauce out.

After the BBQ sauce issue, we cut the cake. Brad fed me the biggest piece of cake, ever. Haha. Then, the DJ announced our first dance. Brad and I stood on the dance floor and waited for him to start playing our song. But no, he decided to play the last minute of the song that was playing instead of stopping it. So we stood there and looked like dorks waiting for the song. Seriously? Our dance went well. I was nervous because we hadn't practiced much since our lesson. Our photographer captured my nervous face in one of the photos. Ha! Then, I danced with my dad. My step-dad cut in about half-way through the song. (This was planned.) Brad and his mom shared a dance.

While Brad and his mom were dancing I looked over and noticed one of the catering people cutting the cake like a 5 year old. Some of the pieces were cut like cake should be cut and some were giant wedges. I thought to myself, "Just let it go, Chelsea". But I couldn't take it anymore. I got up, walked over, and said, "Hi, can you cut the cake the normal way?" She said, "Oh, well I've been eyeballing it to be sure that it's all used." I replied (as nicely as possible), "This cake is made to serve 200 people. There are 120 people here. We did that on purpose so that we would have more than enough cake for our guests and to send any leftovers home with family. Please fix these pieces of cake and start cutting it like it's supposed to be cut." Then to my horror, she took the giant wedges that were already plated and cut them in half, but not down the middle going height-wise-- she cut them in between the layers! Who does that!? At this point, I had to just let it go and sit down because I was going to lose it on this chick. Brad was exiting the dance floor when I was going to sit back down. He said, "Honeyyy, what are you doing?"

To which I replied, "Oh, nothing. Just sitting down." Hehee.

When the first fast song came on, I hit the floor with my bridesmaids and the flower girl. The rest of the night is kind of blurry because so much happened (no I wasn't drunk-- I only had a glass of wine and champagne the entire night). :) We danced, visited the DIY photo booth, and took some night photos. I'm hoping to get the photos back and have them refresh my memory. Ha!

After the reception, we had to tear the place down. We had to be out of there by midnight or we would be fined. My DOC had 4 staff members there to help with the tear down. Some of our family and friends graciously stayed to help, too. We had the entire ceremony and reception spaces torn down, including the tables and chairs, in an hour.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. It flew by so quickly. I wish I could do it again, but get 8 hours of sleep the night before and stay on schedule.

The Wedding {Part Two}

2011-07-18T10:50:00.001-04:00

Once I was ready, my photographer and I headed downstairs to the waiting limo. Brad was on his way to our "First Look" location-- where we got engaged, with his dad. For our "First Look" Brad was positioned inside the gazebo with his back turned to the direction I was coming from. When everything was set-up by our photographers, I started walking towards Brad and our photographer told him to turn around. When I got to Brad I remember asking him if he liked my dress. He said yes. I asked him if it was what he was expecting. He said he thought I would go with something simpler. Ha!

Brad and I took some photos in and around the gazebo. Then, we went over to the Chemistry building for photos. Soon our bridal party arrived in the limo. We went around campus taking photos at various locations for a little over 2 hours.

We arrived at our wedding location around 4:00PM. I say wedding location because we had our ceremony and reception at the same location. Many members of our families were already there for photos before the ceremony, which was at 5:30PM. We took photos with my side of the family and relaxed a little bit. My bridesmaids went to work to get the dirt marks off of my dress from taking photos.

A little before 5:00PM the bridesmaids and I went into hiding in our reception room while guests started to arrive. Then it was time to line up for the ceremony. The music started... and to my horror it started to cut out as the grandparents and mothers were being seated. I remember looking at my Maid of Honor, probably with my eyes bulging out of my head. She looked at me and reassured me, "It's fine. Don't worry. He'll fix it" (meaning the DJ). The music a couple more times, and I flinched. Why was this happening?! It cut out again as my bridesmaids started to go down the aisle. My day-of coordinator finally looked at me and said, "I hope he fixes this and it doesn't cut out while you're walking". Luckily, he did fix the problem-- the music didn't cut out as I walked down the aisle with my dad and step-dad.

Our ceremony went smoothly. Well, except for me having to have our officiant repeat 2 lines of our vows for me. I had the worse case of cotton mouth. It was so hard to talk. All I wanted was a glass of water. After I messed up the first time, I thought that I was repeating everything wrong. Brad was sure to remind me later that he said everything perfectly, and I was the one who goofed.

After the ceremony, Brad and I, along with our bridal party and parents went back into the reception room. Everyone said congrats and gave us hugs. We signed our marriage license. I drank some water. Then, it was time to move on to photos with Brad's family, followed by cocktail hour and the reception!

The Wedding {Part One}

2011-07-12T20:56:00.001-04:00

First, let me say a big thank you for all your kind words about my grandma's passing...
and about our wedding.

I thought I would write a post about our day. I'm going to go chronologically here.

The day started at 7:30AM in our hotel suite. I did not want to get out of bed because I went to sleep at 2:30AM. Yeah 5 hours of sleep! My hair stylist, who graciously agreed to drive the hour and a half to our wedding destination, arrived around 7:45 and started on my bridesmaid, Melissa's hair. I jumped in the shower. By the time I was out of the shower my makeup artist was there.

Soon all of my bridesmaids were in the suite getting their hair and makeup done. My Maid of Honor gave me an amazing gift-- a photo album from my bachelorette weekend in Chicago and a tear-jerking card.

The plan was to be done with my hair and makeup by 12:30 so I could get in my dress, take some bridal shots, and then get in the limo at 1:00 to go to our First Look location. {Brad's dad drove him separately.} I was a little late getting into the makeup chair. Then, when I got the call about my grandma, I got delayed another half an hour. My hair ended up taking two and half hours, but it was worth it in the end. I ended up not getting done with my hair until 1:30. My legs were shaking as I sat there getting my hair done, knowing we were not on schedule and the limo was waiting.

As I was getting my hair done, I gave my bridesmaids their gifts-- a pearl necklace with matching earrings, personalized makeup bag, pink pashmina, and green and pink flip flops that I made.

I didn't get to take any bridal shots in our hotel room {something I regret}. I hurried into my dress and put on my earrings, bracelet, and shoes. As I was about to head out the door, Brad's mom showed up with my gift from him. It was a beautiful heart-shaped jewelry box with "Mrs. Chelsea NewLastName" engraved on top. There was a pearl bracelet inside. I put it on with the pearl bracelet I was borrowing from my mom.

Brad got ready in his best man's suite with the rest of the groomsmen, his dad, brother, and some other friends. Brad was on schedule. He actually took a nap after leaving our suite that morning. Lucky. While getting ready, he opened my gift-- IU cufflinks {our alma mater and where we met}.

We're married!

2011-07-05T14:29:00.000-04:00

Brad and I married 10 days ago on June 25th!

It was beautiful. The weather was gorgeous. We had 120 friends and family there to celebrate with us. All of my wedding DIY projects looked fantastic at our venue. Everyone was so sweet, telling me how I did a wonderful job and how everything looked so beautiful.

I can't wait to get our professional wedding photos back! In the meantime,
here are some that our friends and family took.

We spent the better part of Friday decorating our reception venue. Thank goodness we have such great friends and family members that were so willing to help us with decorating. After the decorating was done, we had our rehearsal dinner at our favorite college pub.

There was a cloud of sadness that hung over our wedding day. At 9:45 Saturday morning, I was getting my makeup done in my bridal suite, and my cell phone rang. It was my dad-- calling to say that my 91 year old grandmother had just passed away. She would have been 92 on the following Wednesday. She had been ill for the better part of 5 years and in a nursing home for almost 2 years. I think I was in shock most of the day. Since our wedding day was only one day that couldn't easily be repeated, I decided that I would put on a brave face and enjoy myself as much as possible. I told myself that I could be sad the days after the wedding. I'd like to think that my grandma wanted to be at the wedding so badly that this was her way to attend-- in spirit.

On the Wednesday after the wedding, Brad and I traveled the 3 hours to my hometown for my grandma's visitation and funeral. It's been kind of a whirlwind the past two weeks.

We spent this weekend trying to get our house back to normal (it's still a mess though) and finish the landscaping we've been meaning to do for over a month now. Brad and I will be going on a mini-honeymoon this upcoming weekend. I'll be sure to post photos when we get back.

Here's a sneak peek of our mini-honeymoon destination.

Less than a week to go!

2011-06-20T12:09:00.004-04:00

Sorry I've been MIA! I've been in the last stretch of planning the wedding.

Want to see what I've been up to lately?

I made all of our escort cards!

I had paper left over from our invitations so it didn't cost me extra money to make them so that was a bonus. I used the paisley patterned paper in cotton candy and cotton candy card stock from Cards and Pockets. I cut the paisley patterned paper in half height-wise. Then, I cut 2"x3" rectangles out of the cotton candy card stock. I made each name and table assignment in Photoshop. I printed them on white card stock and cut them out (1.5"x2.5"). I used double sided tape to adhere everything together.

I finally decided on my DIY centerpieces for the reception! I put real light pink rose petals in water, followed by a floating candle in each hurricane.

I made our layered ceremony programs!

I got the idea from a friend of mine that did layered wedding programs for her wedding.
I designed them in Photoshop and had them printed and cut at FedEx Office. I used metallic cotton candy card stock from Cards and Pockets for the backing, folded it over on the front, 2-hole punched it, and tied it together with green ribbon. My awesome Maid of Honor, Natalie, stayed up until 3AM to help me assemble them.

I made our dinner menus!

I made our beverage menus!

I made our flip flop basket sign!

I made our cocktail hour centerpieces and decorations. They're ranunculus luminaries.

I also changed my mind about the pomanders for the aisle decorations. Now they're pink peony pomanders. They look just like the pink peony topiaries, but in pomander form.

I haven't gotten around to taking photos yet, but I will.

I have some miscellaneous things to do this week to wrap everything up.

I took most of the week off of work so I wouldn't be as stressed out.

Brad and I took two dance lessons last week. It was a lot of fun! We decided to have one more lesson tonight. Now we just have to practice this week! We're not planning anything fancy. We just don't want to look like two eighth graders turning around in a circle for our first dance.

5 days to go!

A wedding wish from the President

2011-06-01T00:47:00.001-04:00

We got a note from President and Mrs. Obama in the mail today!

It's not a personal note, and it's not personally signed by the president or first lady, but I still think it's a pretty cool thing to have.

Just so you don't think I got it off a google image search, here's the envelope it came in.

Want your own wedding wish keepsake from the president? It's super easy.

Just send a wedding invitation to President and Mrs. Obama. I mailed theirs out with the rest of my invitations in mid-April, so it took about 7 weeks to get the note.

Here's the address:

The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Centerpieces-- Help me decide! Part II

2011-05-05T14:42:00.000-04:00

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback on the centerpieces!

I forgot about the other option. So here's option #4...

Centerpieces-- Help me decide!

2011-05-04T20:51:00.000-04:00

Yes, 52 days until my wedding {AHH! cue panic attack}, and I haven't decided what half of my reception centerpieces will be. Oh, and they're DIY.

I know. I'm ridiculous.

Ok, here are the choices!

Option #1

Pretend that I didn't run out of ribbon on the one and the ribbon is straight and pretty.

Option #2

Option #3

There is one votive candle inside each hurricane.

Don't worry, you can talk over these hurricanes. My maid of honor, Natalie, and I have practiced.

Prepare yourself, I'm about to go into crazy detail about what our reception space

will look like to fully inform you for your decision.

This is our reception space.

We'll be using round tables with white table linens. We'll also have white chair covers

and pink chair sashes. Here's a not-so-great photo of one of the chairs

{obviously with the cover and sash just taken out of the bag}.

Above the dance floor, which is in the middle of the room, we'll be hanging 30 pink, green, and white paper lanterns in varying sizes that we'll light up with battery-operated lights

{like pictured above}.

The other half of the centerpieces will be floral arrangements that look like this,

sans the petals and add votive candles.

Ok, so which one should I go with?

Bonus point: Can you guess which one would be the most budget-friendly to go with?

And They're Off!

2011-04-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

I mailed our invitations on Friday!

I know it's silly, but I wanted to get them out before the 3 cent postage hike. That, and I just wanted to be done with them. Our post office is super fast because I dropped them off Friday at 1:00PM and guests almost 200 miles away were getting them the next day! Crazy!

Hometown Bridal Shower

2011-04-18T11:31:00.002-04:00

I had my hometown bridal shower this weekend. It was a held at what is basically the icon of our small town. The home, built in 1861, is now known as "The Old Republic" but what was once the home of the Service family. It is now used as a B&B and you can rent it out for events. My dad actually lived in the house for a few years when he was younger.

The guests enjoyed wandering around and looking at all the rooms-- some were even adventurous enough to climb the stairs all the way up to the cupola.

My mom used small potted tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and roses as the centerpieces. Then, the guests took one home as their favor. I thought this was a wonderful and beautiful idea!

top left: My mom and me.

top right: Me, my great aunt Vera, second cousin Marie, second cousin Sue, and aunt Connie

bottom right: maid of honor Natalie, me, bridesmaid Melissa

bottom left: cousin Ashley, me, cousin Whitney

I have to tell the story of my Great Aunt Vera because I think it's such a lovely story. She's originally from England. My Great Uncle Tom was in WWII and met her in England. They fell in love and married. Uncle Tom sent her back to Indiana because he had to finish his tour, and my family met her at the train station for the first time. Uncle Tom came back, and they started their family.
To this day, she still has her English accent. I love it!

My Maid of Honor, Natalie, came up with some pretty spectacular games. Like the game where I wore an apron covered in tons of stuff and the shower guests had 5 minutes to "view" and remember everything I was wearing then write it all down after I left. Yes, I'm sporting one of the basketball bikini tops that I fashioned for Natalie, our other sorority sister, Karen, and I in college {we got on the jumbo-tron at college b-ball games wearing those with tank tops on underneath, mind you}.

I was crafty in college, too. :)

The cake was delicious! Half white with raspberry filling and half chocolate with chocolate mousse filling. Yum!

I got wonderful gifts-- a Kitchenaid mixer, china place settings, serveware, cake stand, cake decorating set, kitchen towels, glass pitcher, signing frame for the reception, toasting flutes, cake service set, gift basket, and casual barware!

It was a fantastic shower! I had so much fun seeing and talking with everyone!

Flower Girl Basket

2011-04-08T16:46:00.001-04:00

Whew! I feel like I'm in a wedding whirlwind right now.

I had my second dress fitting this afternoon! I love my dress!

But I still need to find a bustier and earrings to go with it. I decided that I'm not

going to wear a necklace.

Last night I checked one more thing off my to-do list-- the flower girl basket!

I bought the pre-made basket at Hobby Lobby for $12 {with a 40% off coupon, of course}.

Then, I took the weird, ugly knot-bows off of it. I just pulled them off-- nothing fancy.

This is where my lack of photos comes in. I made a bow with 2 inch white, satin ribbon and glued it to the basket with hot glue. Then, I took the silk pink peony, glued the rhinestone button to the center, and glued it on top of the bow. Pretty simple and for less than $20!

Moss Covered Initials & Ampersand

2011-04-08T00:23:00.000-04:00

Sorry for my lack of posts lately. I've been in a mad dash to get our DIY invitations done

{and the 10,000 other things on my wedding to-do list done}.

Here's the direct links to the moss covered letter tutorial and the mossy ampersand tutorial.

Let me know if you make these! I'd love to see yours!

Moss Covered Initials & Ampersand

2011-03-27T22:55:00.000-04:00

I finished our moss covered initials and ampersand this weekend!

I'll be sharing the tutorial at lovely little details this Thursday!

Ring Bearer Pillow & Garters

2011-03-20T15:49:00.010-04:00

My parents came into town this weekend. My mom and I ran around getting fabric, ribbon, lace, flowers, and all sorts of goodies to make my ring bearer pillow and garters. Then we got to work.

My mom sewed the 8 inch by 8 inch pillow.
It was pretty basic, only we added the 2 inch pink, satin ribbon and 1 inch white, satin ribbon on the front of the pillow. We also added 2 inches of white ribbon on the backside of the pillow for the ring bearer to hold onto {keep that in mind!}. I attached the two ribbons and rhinestone button to the pink peony with hot glue. Then I attached the pink peony to the pillow with hot glue.

My mom also sewed the garters.

For my "something blue" and lace keepsake garter, she used 2 inch antique white satin ribbon, lace, 3/8 inch light blue satin ribbon, and 3/8 inch elastic.

I love it! And, it was so much cheaper than my $78 inspiration garter!

For my university-themed toss garter, she used 1.5 inch white grosgrain ribbon, 3/8 inch red satin ribbon, and 3/8 inch elastic. I love this one, too! I'll slip it in before the garter toss. Like the keepsake garter, it was much cheaper than the $58 inspiration garter!

We're on Canvas on Demand's website!

2011-03-15T19:35:00.003-04:00

A month ago I used my Canvas on Demand Groupon {16x20 canvas for $45} to get one of our engagement photos printed on canvas.

After receiving the canvas, I decided to fill out the testimonial form on Canvas and Demand's customer showcase webpage.

Today, I got an email from them saying that our canvas is now showcased!

Working on the Ceremony

2011-02-26T12:38:00.003-05:00

{source}

Brad and I worked on our ceremony last night.

The goal was to select our vows, exchanging of the rings, and readings.

We even get bonus points because we talked about our first dance song choices--

which we've narrowed down to two... the two that we've been debating over for months.

Love Song by 311 OR Stay With You by John Legend

So I don't really know if we get bonus points for that. But at least we revisited the topic.

Ah! But we did choose our cake cutting song ... I Wanna Grow Old With You by Adam Sandler.

Back to the ceremony.

I think we're going to stay with more tradition vows.

We're still up in the air on the exchanging of the rings.

We really liked the following two readings.

The Art of Marriage by Wilferd A. Peterson

The little things are the big things.

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;

the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,

it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,

but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating

gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

Love Is by Susan Polis Schutz

Love is

being happy for the other person

when they are happy

being sad for the other person when they are sad

being together in good times

and being together in bad times

Love is the source of strength

Love is

being honest with yourself at all times

being honest with the other person at all times

telling, listening, respecting the truth

and never pretending

Love is the source of reality

Love is

an understanding that is so complete that

you feel as if you are a part of the other person

accepting the other person just the way they are

and not trying to change them to be something else

Love is the source of unity

Love is

the freedom to pursue your own desires

while sharing your experience with the other person

the growth of one individual along side of

and together with the growth of another individual

Love is the source of success

Love is

the excitement of planning things together

the excitement of doing things together

Love is the source of the future

Love is

the fury of the storm

the calm of the rainbow

Love is the source of passion

Love is

giving and taking in a daily situation

being patient with each other's needs and desires

Love is the source of sharing

Love is

knowing that the other person

will always be with you regardless of what happens

missing the other person when they are away

but remaining near in heart at all times

Love is the source of security

Love is

the source of life

What kind of vows, exchanging of the rings, and readings did you go with or are you going with?

Wedding Band{s} & A Little Photoshop

2011-02-24T23:52:00.005-05:00

We're finally getting around to ordering our wedding bands.

We got my engagement ring from one of Brad's fraternity brothers that is a jeweler,

so we're going back to him to get my wedding band.

I'm getting Brad a tungsten wedding band that I got with a Groopdealz.

{$60 for a $200+ ring? I think yes.}

My engagement ring comes with a matching wedding band.

The problem is that I don't like how it curves around the center.

I'm a big fan of symmetry and that clearly isn't symmetrical.

I thought about the possibility of getting two of those bands to make it symmetrical,

but I think it would be too much and take away from my center stone.

So I started playing around in Photoshop.

First, I edited the original photo and got rid of the curve.

Hmm, not bad.

MUCH better than the original.

Then, I played around some more and added another band on the other side...

PERFECTION.

I love how this looks.

It's what I've always envisioned.

I emailed the Photoshopped pics to Brad,

and he's going to forward them to his fraternity brother to see what he can come up with.

Fingers crossed that he can make it happen {and for a good price}!

Woo Hoo! $45 for 16x20 Canvas On Demand!

2011-02-20T11:11:00.004-05:00

Want to put an engagement or wedding photo on canvas?

So I LOVE Groupon and I LOVE Canvas on Demand. Today they have a 16x20 gallery-wrapped canvas, plus shipping and handling, for $45 {a $126.95 value}.

I ordered an Alaskan vacation photo on canvas last fall. COD emailed me and said that the photo I submitted was too large for the 16x20, so instead of cropping the photo, they would upgrade me for free to a larger canvas. I thought that was awesome! I love good customer service! :)

The other day I used a $45 16x20 COD Groupon to order one of engagement photos on canvas to hang in our bedroom. I might display it at our wedding location as well.

Here's the link to get the Groupon:

{CLICK}

FYI: This Groupon expires on June 21, 2011.

new blog- two twenty one

2011-02-16T08:46:00.006-05:00

I launched my new blog yesterday!

I wanted a place to keep and share my creative and home improvement projects

so I created two twenty one {our address}.

That, and after the wedding I'll be retiring from posting on Chelsea Gets Married.

I'll keep the blog alive and well. I just won't be adding any new content.

I'd love for you to head over {click} and be one of my followers so that we can remain friends

after the wedding!

Flip Flop Basket

2011-02-13T23:42:00.004-05:00

I decided to have a flip flop basket at our wedding reception after a friend of mine had one at her reception. Those flip flops saved my poor, aching feet when I wanted to get my dance on. {I had worn my super-cute-but-uncomfortable-after-wearing-for-more-than-3-hours lace heels.}

I purchased 18 pairs of flip flops (9 pink and 9 green) from Old Navy.

I splurged a little on Old Navy flip flops because the flip flops I wore at my friend's wedding were the $1 craft flip flops, and after dancing in them for a few hours they started to break and I had to put my heels back on. :(

Here is the breakdown of the sizes I purchased (we plan on having ~125 wedding guests):

Size 11: 1

Size 10: 2

Size 9: 3

Size 8: 7

Size 7: 4

Size 6: 1

DIRECTIONS:

I placed each pair back to back. To secure them while I put the ribbon on I used 2 rubber bands (1 on the top, 1 on the bottom). I wrapped the thicker ribbon around the flip flops and secured it in the front with double sided tape. Then I wrapped the thinner polka dotted ribbon around and secured it in the front with double sided tape. I placed the size circles on top to cover up where the ends met. I used a 2" circular punch for the larger circle. I printed the sizes on scrapbook paper and punched them out with a 1" circular punch. I used double sided tape to secure the 1" circle to the 2" circle and the 2" circle to the ribbon

Ending My Wedding Shoe Search

2011-02-07T15:44:00.005-05:00

As you may recall, I've ordered almost 10 different pairs of shoes from online shoe stores. Well, I've decided to call off my search and go with this pair-- Vaneli Madora in ivory.

{They look a lot cuter on than in this pic. I'll try to get a pic of me wearing them

and post it.}

{source}

They're "inspired" by Stuart Weitzman's Gigiritz {or was Stuart "inspired" by Vaneli? Hmm...}. While I would love to have these beauties, I don't want to pay $298 for them.

The Vaneli's cost me $78.75 {but now they're listed as $73.50. What the heck, Zappos?}.

{source}

I really wanted to find cute, blue shoes for my "something blue". But let's face it, with my 11 wide shoe size, and the ever-growing bunion on my right foot, that was going to be quite the accomplishment.

Sidebar: Most people don't know what a bunion really is. They just attribute it to old people because that's all you hear on TV {"Oh, my bunions are killin' me!"}.

A bunion is an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the base of the big toe. The big toe may turn in toward the second toe, and the tissues surrounding the joint may be swollen and tender.

In my case, it's bone, not tissue. It's really painful, especially if I wear tight shoes. Yay, genetics! {My mom said, "You can thank your father for that." Oh, mom...} Since I currently don't have health insurance I just get to suffer through it until I marry Brad, get on his health insurance, and have surgery.

Thanks for letting me clear the bunion thing up. :)

So anyway, I've decided that these shoes are just fine. Plus, I only plan on having them on for pictures, the ceremony, cocktail hour, and the first part of the reception.

Then I'm switching to sandals!

I ♥ Etsy

2011-02-05T18:21:00.016-05:00

I'm not ambitious, nor talented, enough to DIY everything for the wedding, which is why I'll be turning to Etsy! :)

I already put down a deposit for our custom cake topper from Lynn's Little Creations.

{source}

I plan on purchasing a custom embroidered wedding dress label.

This will be my "something blue".

{source}

I love the thumb print guestbook tree idea, but I don't want my guests to get their thumbs all inked up. {Plus, after thinking about it, I think it's somewhat strange to finger print your guests.} So, I found this compromise on Etsy. It's a guestbook tree with self-adhesive leaves. Guests sign the leaves, and then place them on the tree.

{source}

I'm going to jump on the hair flower band wagon. :)

{source}

Invitation Mock-Up

2011-02-03T19:45:00.009-05:00

I didn't want to DIY my invitations. Seriously. I didn't. I didn't even know where to start. But after looking at what seemed like a million invitations, I couldn't find anything I liked for the price I wanted to pay. Classic conundrum.

{FYI: My budget is $3.00 per invitation suite.}

I saw a bunch of girls posting about Cards and Pockets on TK, so I thought I would check them out. While browsing photos on their facebook page I came across this invitation suite.

I loved the paisley patterned paper!

I decided to order some samples from them to see if I liked everything. I ordered the Signature PocketFold Mock-Up Kit {$10.50}, Panel Card Mock-Up Kit {$5.00}, One Custom Pattern Sample in Candy Pink Paisley Floral {$3.99}, and One Custom Pattern Sample in Candy Pink Swirl {$3.99}. They have free shipping on samples.

I ordered 2 different types of green paper-- matte {medina green} and metallic {fairway} and only one type of pink paper-- matte {candy pink}. I decided to go with the metallic green pocket folder.

I decided that a pocket folder would be best since 95% of our guests will be traveling from out-of-town. I thought that a pocket folder would help them keep all of the information together.

I designed everything in Photoshop Illustrator and Photoshop.

The script font is "Feel Script" and the sans serif font is "Print Clearly".

So how much are these bad boys going to cost?

Well, I broke down the costs and looked into other paper suppliers. I discovered that 100 metallic fairway pocket folders at Cards and Pockets costs $110. However, they cost only $83.98 at Paper and More. So I plan on getting the pocket folders at Paper and More. Everything else will come from Cards and Pockets.

According to my calculations, each invitation {not including postage} will cost around $2.00.

Woohoo, under budget!

I'm trying to get the invitation and inserts fit onto one 8.5" x 11" page. Then, I'll have them printed at FedEx Office on the card stock that I purchase. They charge $.09 per black and white print. They charge $1.49 per cut, but they can cut up to 100 pages at a time. {FYI: They charge $.63 per color print, which is what I'll be doing for our table name cards.}

Now, the fun/interesting/stressful part will be assembling all of these!

Any volunteers?

Who needs table numbers when you can have table names?

2011-02-01T23:41:00.010-05:00

I decided a long time ago to name our tables instead of numbering them.

I've seen people name their tables according to years {1999} and then have a photo of the bride and groom from that year at that table. I thought this was a cute idea until I thought more deeply about it. You see, I was a very heavy child/teenager and ultimately lost 85 pounds in high school. I'd rather not have to talk about my "hefty years" at my wedding. Hmm, I could do this and just leave out 1992-2002. Haha!

Ready for a flashback?

{That's me in 2000.}

OK, back on track now...

I've also seen people name their tables "love", but in different languages.

Different types of wines.

National parks.

The possibilities are endless!

I decided to name our tables after places that Brad and I visited together. We've been on 2 cruises together {Alaska and Caribbean} so that knocks out a good amount of places. Right?

Well, we're hoping for 120-125 wedding guests. That's 15-16 tables, thus 15-16 table name cards.

Right now, I only have 11 places. Well, I only have 11 photos of us in 11 places. We've visited more places than those 11, but there are no photos. Make sense?

Would it be weird if we had a table named after the city that we currently live in but we did something really cool together in the city {toured the new NFL stadium before it opened}?

Or if we named a table after the city where we attended college and where the wedding and reception will take place? We did LOTS of stuff together there! :) It is where we met...

I told Brad that perhaps we should look into taking some day trips...

Anyway, I'm crafting these puppies in Photoshop, and I'll have them printed and cut at FedEx Office. I got 18 chrome plated table number holders from another bride that I found on Craigslist. I'll design, print, and attach the menu on the backside.

My Oprah Experience

2011-01-29T23:09:00.015-05:00

First, I had to decide on my outfit. After spending 3 hours shopping Wednesday night I decided on a turquoise DKNY cardigan. {This cardigan, only bright turquoise.} I wore it with a white tank, grey trousers, and grey flats.

I drove up to Chicago on Thursday. After getting to Natalie's apartment, we only had about 45 minutes to get ready before we had to head out to the movie screening of "Just Go With It". Since we couldn't take our cameras into the movie theater we took some photos of ourselves in her apartment before going to the screening because we're super cool like that.

The movie screening was really fun {sans the extremely whiny girl next to me}. I was elated when we didn't have to sit through any previews--the movie just started playing! Another cool thing was that Natalie sat next to the lady whose company created the inflatables {the cruise ship and snow globes} for "Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things".

"Just Go With It" was very funny. Adam and Jen had great chemistry. Jen looked gorgeous, like always. Adam was looking pretty darn good. One of my favorites, the handsome, Dave Matthews makes a cameo in the movie too. I plan on seeing the movie again with Brad when it comes out on Feb. 11th.

After the movie, it was back to Natalie's apartment to get some sleep. I set 4 alarms on my cell phone, as well as a regular alarm clock. My mind was racing so I don't think I fell asleep until midnight. I was up at 4:00 AM to get ready. Yeah, 4:00 AM. For Oprah.

We were out the door by 6:00 AM and in line at the studio by 6:30 AM. My friend, Brittney, met up with us because Kait couldn't get off work to come to the taping. We were numbers 71, 72, and 73 in line.

{We took this after the show. It was not light outside at 6:30 AM.}

I don't have any pictures of us inside the studio because cameras were not permitted. We only have our mental pictures. :) I'll make an Oprah plug right now-- you can see what I saw by watching "Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes" on OWN. We might be on an episode of "Season 25" because they were doing filming for it when we there. A camera crew came into the waiting area and told us to cheer and clap, but to not look at the cameras. It was kind of awkward to be yelling, cheering, and clapping but avoid looking directly at the cameras.

We were called into the studio around 8:15 AM. We sat in the upper section right by where Oprah enters. We weren't 10 feet from the stage like what I would have wanted, but the studio is very small {it looks much larger on TV} and we got to see everything that was going on from where we were sitting. PLUS, with the way the guests' chairs were positioned they were looking right at us {and vice versa}.

Oprah's staff amped us for about 15-20 minutes. They asked the audience members questions. They asked us if we had any questions for them. We danced a little. Her staff is very nice, and they all seem to love their jobs.

When Oprah came out it was surreal. It was like watching her on TV but I was there. She looked beautiful. I loved her glittery purple skirt. Her hair and make-up looked perfect. May I borrow her "people" for my wedding day? ;) She complimented us {the audience} on our attire and thanked us for taking off work and being there. She was pretty funny too. I was surprised when she said sh*t a few times too. It's like hearing your teacher cuss. Made me laugh.

She started by talking with the American Idol judges via satellite. I'm not an AI fan, so I'm not going to expand.

Then, Jen came out. I don't think this will be a surprise to anyone, but she's gorgeous in real life. She looks just like she does in film and print. She's so tiny. I love how down-to-earth she is. She seems like such a genuine, grounded person.

Next, Adam joined them on stage. He wore a suit, which I thought was cute. Dressing up for the Oprah! :) I love him. He was funny and charming. He seems like such a normal person too. I'd have a beer with him.

It was honor being able to see both Jen and Adam in person. Oprah, too.

Piers Morgan was Oprah's next guest. He was pretty funny and an interesting guest. Plus, you gotta love a British accent.

When the taping was finished, Oprah thanked the audience again for coming to the show. She said she knows that many of us go through a lot to come to the show-- take off work, buy new outfits {Natalie & me}, get manicures {Natalie}, get our hair done {me}.... Haha!

The episode will air on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd. Look for my turquoise cardigan. Natalie is sitting to my left wearing a green cardigan. There's a man in a pink shirt sitting to Natalie's left.

Now, "Attend The Oprah Winfrey Show" can be crossed off my bucket list.

Going to Oprah!

2011-01-25T20:45:00.006-05:00

I've been trying to get tickets to the Oprah show lately. Especially since it's her last season, and I live only a couple hours from Chicago.

Last week I applied for last minute tickets for a taping featuring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. Today my cell phone rang, but the caller ID said "unavailable" so I let it go to voicemail. A minute later I get an email from the Oprah show asking if I'm available this Friday for the taping featuring Jennifer Aniston and for the screening of her new movie, Just Go With It, the evening before.

{After screaming and calling Natalie} I replied as fast as I could.

When I got home from work I got an email that began, "Thanks for the information. You and your guests are now confirmed for the 1/28 A taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show with Jennifer Aniston."

I called Natalie, screaming. She could barely understand what I was saying. After a while she told me to slow down and talk in "human speech".

Then I called Kait, screaming.

So, on Thursday Natalie, Kait, and I will be going to a private screening of Just Go With It {popcorn and drinks provided!}. Then, on Friday morning we'll be up bright and early to go to the morning taping of the Oprah show.

I'm SUPER excited! OMG, I'm going to be seeing Oprah AND Jennifer Aniston in the FLESH!

Now I just have to decide on my outfit!

Registering- Macy's

2011-01-24T19:07:00.017-05:00

Brad and I went to Macy's on Sunday to register. We had fun, but I had to rationalize with Brad at times. Thank goodness I was in charge of the scanner!

We had to stop and talk when he wanted me to scan the $100 Sharper Image table top wine chiller {our fridge does a fine job chilling my wine}.

Then, I had to explain why I thought asking for a $240 Keurig coffee maker was a little crazy and the coffee is expensive, thus making it expensive for us after the wedding {we've been using a $25 Hamilton Beach for 3 years and Brad complains about how Dunkin Donuts coffee is so expensive--$7.49 a bag}. We compromised on a Cuisinart for a fraction of the price of the Keurig.

I decided on the "metallic chrome" KitchenAid 5-quart artisan stand mixer. I'll proudly be displaying it on our counter-top {if we receive it} so I wanted it to go with our kitchen no matter the decor. We also registered for extra KitchenAid bowls. I heard from other brides that this is a must.

Brad really wanted the ice cream maker attachment for the KitchenAid.

I said OK.

I love Martha Stewart blue, so I went a little crazy and scanned pretty much everything in the glorious color-- measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatulas, a batter bowl, colander, spoons, biscuit cutters...

I love this cake stand and dome.

Nice down pillows. :)

Down comforter.

We won't be registering for formal china. It will barely be used, and I don't have anywhere to put all of it.

I'm debating as to whether to register for casual dinnerware or not. I really like Martha Stewart's Lisbon Collection, especially because I could mix it in with regular white dinnerware. Hmmm...

Registry Dilemma

2011-01-22T15:26:00.008-05:00

We're finally getting around to registering. {On my January to-do list.} One of my "big ticket items" is a 5 quart KitchenAid stand mixer. So last night I went online to do my research and choose a color.

I LOVE the color "ice". It's so fun and different! {That, and turquoise is one of my favorite colors.} However, it won't really go with our green kitchen.

Brad thinks we should be more neutral and go with "metallic chrome". But I feel like that's too boring, although it does look pretty sleek and sexy. Yeah, I just called a kitchen appliance sexy.

What do you think?

Hmmm, maybe I can redo the kitchen around the "ice" KitchenAid mixer... We are going to paint the ugly honey oak cabinetry white this fall... and I was thinking about painting the kitchen again anyway...

FYI, this is what {part of} our kitchen looks like.

26.

2011-01-20T10:03:00.011-05:00

Sunday was my birthday. My Maid of Honor, Natalie, came to town to celebrate with me... and look for bridesmaid dresses. {Remember, that was on my January to-do list.} We were successful!

Here's the winner!

It's a cotton sateen dress so the girls can easily wear it again. The color is kelly green.

I have to admit that while bridesmaid dress shopping I went rogue and browse the wedding dresses. {We went into this bridal salon that I never went to when looking for my wedding dress and I always regretted not going there. I told Natalie to not let me "go rogue" while in the store.} While Natalie was saying, "Uh, Chels, I don't think that's a good idea..." I drifted into the bridal gowns. But I ended up critiquing all the gowns and came to the conclusion that mine is the best. :)

After our bridesmaid dress success we went we out for sushi and drinks with a group of friends. My other bridesmaid, Kait, and her husband couldn't make it out because she was sick with a fever and bad cough. I told her that that's what she gets for smoking. :P

{I need to go tanning. Blah!}

{I love how most boys refuse to smile in photos. Except for our friend Matt. He's clearly excited that it's my birthday! Ha!}

$10 for a One-Year Subscription to "O, The Oprah Magazine"

2011-01-16T17:39:00.003-05:00

Ah, I love Groupon!

Until the 18th, they are offering $10 for a one-year subscription to "O, the Oprah Magazine" (up to a $28 value).

The Groupon can be found here.

Be Mine Frame

2011-01-15T09:46:00.007-05:00

In the middle of my wedding planning madness I took, literally, a couple minutes to put together this Valentine frame.

All you need is:

a frame
scrapbook paper
Scrabble tiles
glue dots

I cut the scrapbook paper to size and inserted it into the frame. Then I used the glue dots to secure the Scrabble tiles on top of the glass.

Crepe Paper Streamer Distress

2011-01-10T18:55:00.005-05:00

I went to W*lmart the other day to restock my crepe paper streamer supply for my crepe paper rose pomanders. To my disbelief, my color has been discontinued and there was only one "classic pink" roll on the shelf. It was over-crowded by the new color-- "rose petal". Blah!

I called over 8 W*lmarts (in 5 different cities/towns). No dice. I had to explain what crepe paper was to many of the associates I spoke to. No, it's not like construction paper. No, it's not like tissue paper. Oy.

I ended up going to a W*lmart and finding 8 rolls. My mom went to a W*lmart near my hometown and found 4 rolls. But I still want more just in case. I still have 4 more pomanders to make and 20+ miniature pomanders for our tall centerpieces.

So if you're at W*lmart and see some B*st Occasions "classic pink" crepe paper streamers let me know!

January Wedding To-Do List

2011-01-09T16:08:00.005-05:00

We are getting married in 167 days. Most brides would be so excited. I'm not. I need more time. I feel like there is so much more that I need to do. This is my January to-do list.

~~Order invitation mock-ups~~
Design invitation inserts and call around for printing and paper cutting prices
Order paper lanterns
Get Brad's finger sized and order his ring
Place order for table and linen table rentals
Meet with officiant
DJ contract
Pick out and order bridesmaid dresses
Pick out and order flower girl dress
Start looking for suits
~~Reserve hotel room~~
Make first alteration appointment
Decide on and make hair and make-up appointments
Work on pomanders
Work on moss covered letters
Work on flower girl basket
Work on veil
Finish table name cards
Finish photo booth props
Register

It's going to be a busy month and there are only 22 days left in January.

Happy Birthday, Jack!

2011-01-03T10:44:00.011-05:00

Today is our little man's 3rd birthday!

Brad and I got Jack on March 22, 2008 from a pet rescue adoption event. I didn't really want a male dog because I had never had one before, but Brad talked me into it. I'm glad that he did.

I've never met a dog with so much personality.

Jack will respond to the following words and phrases: Do you want to eat? Do you need to go outside? Walk? Go? Go to bed? Where's your toy? Where's daddy? Where's momma? {Yes, we are those people that refer to ourselves as daddy and momma/mommy to our dog.} Go for a ride? Treat. Sit. Stay. Lay. Down. Roll over. Spin. Off. Up. Enough. Wait. Kennel. Peyton. {His best friend}

When Brad has class and doesn't get home until 8 or 9 at night Jack is on edge the whole evening-- every little sound makes him bark. It drives me nuts. When Brad finally gets home and settles in on the couch with me to watch some TV before bed Jack will immediately jump up and lay length-wise on both of our laps and fall asleep. It's like all is right in his world when Brad and I are together.

We love Jack to pieces and couldn't imagine not having him in our lives.

One of the most enduring friendships in history — dogs and their people, people and their dogs.

Terry Kay

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:49:00.010-05:00

Wishing you health and happiness in 2011!

Photo Booth Props-- Round 1

2010-12-16T22:00:00.008-05:00

I really enjoyed making these props for our DIY photo booth. I'm working on making more, but this is what I've done so far.

They are very inexpensive to make-- all you need is some card stock, felt, dowel rods, scissors, and a glue gun!

If you would like any of the templates to make these feel free to contact me!

I printed the templates onto card stock, cut the shapes out, hot glued the shapes to felt, cut the shapes out of the felt, and glued the dowel rod onto the card stock. I hope that makes sense!

I recently went to Chicago to visit my amazing Maid of Honor and nanny-extraordinaire, Natalie. The beautiful girls that she nannies wanted to create their own props, so I brought my supplies and we crafted-it-up! :)

Tall Centerpiece Mock-Up

2010-12-16T10:55:00.009-05:00

I made a mock up of my possible tall centerpiece.

Here's the details: manzanita branch with 4 miniature crepe paper rose pomanders (made with Christmas ornaments I wasn't using) and 4 crystal/pearl hangy things I made in a terra cotta pot (I would paint it brown though, so picture it brown) with moss.

It's 26-27 inches, but I think with some more finagling I can add a few more inches.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Please be honest! :)

Centerpieces

2010-12-14T16:47:00.007-05:00

Let's be honest here my floral budget isn't the $5,000+ that I would like it to be. My reception centerpiece idea is to have 2-3 different centerpieces on the approx. 15 tables.

Floral Centerpieces
I'd like to have our florist do some of the centerpieces-- low floral centerpieces. I like the colors and shape of this centerpiece.

Tall Centerpieces {DIY}
My florist said that tall centerpieces start out at $65 each. I had a hard time validating spending that much on a centerpiece. So I started looking for tall centerpiece inspiration to DIY.

Since our wedding and reception is being held in a 1940s barn I wanted to go with rustic kind of look. I have 6 manzanita branches that I can use to make these centerpieces.

Candle Centerpieces {DIY}
I have 24 cylinder vases and many floating candles. I'm still working on this idea. I did a mock-up, but now I don't know if I like it anymore.

If I had a $5,000+ floral budget, this would be the tall centerpiece.

A girl can dream, right? :)

Christmas Recipe #2-- Cut-Out Cookies

2010-12-11T21:49:00.023-05:00

Growing up, I always looked forward to baking and decorating cut-out cookies with my mom at Christmas time. There cookies are soft with slightly crispy edges. Yum! :)

Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Sift 3 ¼ cups flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets (I use parchment paper). On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use remaining ½ cup of flour to coat surface. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and butter until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

My Baking Arsenal

I don't bake without my Air Bake baking sheets and silicone baking mats.

Happy Birthday, Es.

2010-12-08T08:32:00.008-05:00

Today would have been, my good friend and bridesmaid, Esther's 26th birthday. We met and became fast friends in preschool.
I miss her more than words can say.

Love you, Es!

{ Me; my friend, Abby; and Esther at my 5th birthday party }

Christmas Recipe #1-- Chocolate Pretzel Rings

2010-12-06T11:05:00.013-05:00

I've also heard of people calling them Santa Buttons. They are SUPER easy and fast to make, and not to mention delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
Any kind of Hershey Kiss, Reese's peanut butter cups, or Rolos
Pretzel rings
M&M's

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Unwrap your candies and place them on a baking sheet (I put foil on top because it's easier to peel them off in the end). Put a pretzel ring on each candy (for peanut butter cups, the pb cup will have to go on top of the pretzel). It's ok if the pretzel isn't perfectly round.

Pop them in the oven for 3 minutes. Around the 1 minute mark I open the oven and shake the cookie sheet around a little bit to get the chocolate moving in the middle of the pretzel ring. When the time is up and you get them out of the oven, I move the tray back and forth again to move the chocolate around. Place an M&M on each, pressing down slightly.

Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Store at room temperature.

ENJOY!

Christmas Decorations

2010-12-05T17:07:00.012-05:00

Brad and I are ready to celebrate our 2nd Christmas in our home! (We bought our first home in June, 2009.) I started putting decorations up the week before Thanksgiving and finished this week. Brad helped me put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving.

Our Christmas tree has been the same for the past 3 years. I like Christmas trees with a clear theme or style. Growing up, our Christmas tree always looked like a schizophrenic elf decorated it. The tree is still decorated in the same style to this day-- multicolor (blinking) lights, themed lights (bubble lights, poinsettia lights, santa lights, fire hydrant lights, etc.), garland, various ornaments. Your eyes just don't know where to focus.

Because I have to have my "styled" Christmas tree I put our sentimental/fun ornaments on our little Christmas tree in our entryway. I want to get an engagement ornament this year to put on the tree.

I did a blue and silver theme for our entryway table last year and this year. This year I added the white tree with blue lights that I've had since childhood. My late Aunt Pat made one for my brother and me when we were little and my mom used to put them in our bedrooms at Christmastime.

I was inspired by the branch centerpiece that Shelley, from the House of Smith, did this year as part of her Christmas decor so I decided to emulate it. :) She's so creative and inspiring! You have to check out her blog!

Small display on the random bookshelf in our living room.

Disclaimer: Please don't judge the standard tan paint. I know it's boring. :) I'm waiting until we get new living room furniture/after the wedding to paint the great room (light blue/gray).

Chair Covers & Sashes

2010-11-26T22:47:00.007-05:00

Today Linen Tablecloth had an amazing Black Friday deal-- 50% off chair covers and sashes! I purchased 140 white, polyester chair covers for $1.30 each and 140 pink satin sashes for $.43 each. That's $1.73 per chair!

In my area, to rent a chair cover and sash it is at least $3.50 per chair. Knowing this, I've been wanting to buy my own chair covers and sashes and sell them after the wedding to recoup the money spent on them.

I also bought a pink tablecloth for our cake table for $8.77.

We'll rent the white tablecloths for the guests' tables because I don't want to have to launder and try to sell 15+ tablecloths after the wedding.

Linen Tablecloth has pink polyester napkins for $.35 each, but most places rent out napkins for $.50 each, so we'll see what we do in the napkin dept.

The Shoe Quest Continues

2010-11-24T20:40:00.008-05:00

The 4 pairs of shoes that I purchased from www.shoebuy.com were sent back.

I ordered more shoes the other day-- this time from Zappos. I love Zappos because they always have free shipping and return shipping. And their shipping is FAST! The downside to Zappos is that they don't have coupons or sales often.

Here's my loot:

Vaneli Madora
I really like this shoe! It's very comfy and cute. I just wonder if they look too old-ladyish. (What do you think?) That and I really want blue shoes (these don't come in blue). From what I've read, if you get satin shoes dyed another color and they get wet you'll get water marks. I took an extra rhinestone button I had and laid it in the middle of the ruffles and it made the shoe pop.

J. Renee Dayna
This is a really cute shoe, but it was a little too tight in the toe area.

J. Renee Elisha Polka Dot
I got these on a whim. They're fun and different but the toe is way too pointy. I wish they were peep toe.

So far the Vaneli Madora is in the lead. However, I think I'll be sending the pair I got from Zappos back. The pair they sent me had a couple small stains on the shoes and glue showing on part of the ruffle. I think it's because I got the last pair of 11 wides. Go figure.

Sigh. I could never be a "shoe girl".

2010-11-05T22:55:00.009-04:00

I've always had to be a "purse girl". Why? Because I wear size 11 wide shoes. Yes, that means that during the summer I wear sandals and in fall/winter I wear Uggs.

I'm 5'10" so I'd like to think that it's my body's way of balancing everything out. My dad says it's because I always wear sandals so my feet just keep growing because they aren't being contained. Ha! Absurd.

Needless to say, my wedding shoe hunt has been interesting. I want to have blue shoes for my something blue. I need about a 2 inch heel so I won't be taller than Brad, and I need the 2 inches so I won't have to get my dress hemmed.

Last weekend www.shoebuy.com had a Halloween 20% off sale. They always have free shipping and return shipping, so I decided to purchase 4 pairs of shoes.

Here's my loot:

Benjamin Walk Touch Ups--Dakin
My toes were smushed together in this pair. Plus, I tried to walk on my wood floors, and I just about did a face plant. Who makes bridal shoes with no traction on the bottom?

Benjamin Walk Touch Ups-- Nadia
I didn't care for these. The soles on this shoe and the Dakin were so stiff! Also like the Dakin, this shoe was like wearing a roller skate on my wood floors.

Colorful Creations-- Jackie
I wouldn't put these back on if you paid me. Well, I probably would, depending on how much you offered. These hurt the instant I placed them on my feet.

Dyeables-- Nicky
These were my favorite. However, the strap wouldn't stay up on my ankle. I'm thinking that I should look into Dyeables since these were the most comfortable of the 3 brands.

I have a feeling that I'm going to be sending all 4 pairs back. At least I'm making progress in the shoe department though!

Engagement photos!

2010-11-02T21:13:00.015-04:00

Not only was my dress delivered yesterday, but our photographer posted our engagement photos last night! Double wedding whammy!

Here's a few! I love them!

My dress has arrived!

2010-11-02T17:46:00.004-04:00

The UPS man delivered my dress yesterday! Here's your first look!

I couldn't believe that it fit in such a small box!

The time my mom called me a "bridezilla".

2010-11-02T12:43:00.005-04:00

I live 3 hours from my mom and step-dad, so I talk to my mom almost every day.

A couple months ago I was on the phone with my mom talking about wedding stuff. I don't even know the topic of wedding discussion, but after I had said my peace my mom said, "Ok, bridezilla." That pretty much ended our phone conversation.

When I hung up the phone the comment kind of stung. Was I being a bridezilla? Did I need to take it down a notch? After thinking about it I decided that, no, I wasn't being a bridezilla.

I've seen those girls on Bridezilla on WE. Chicks be CRAZY. Am I weighing-in my bridesmaids? No. Am I kicking people out of my wedding? No. Am I throwing a hissy fit if people aren't doing things on their "to-do" lists? No, because I'm not giving people to-do lists.

I came to the conclusion that my mom just wanted to be able to use the word "bridezilla" at least once during my wedding planning. That or she wanted to get me off the phone so she could go "watch her shows" because my parents have yet to invest in a DVR.

The next morning my mom called and apologized. She said that I wasn't being a bridezilla and that she was sorry. I told her it was ok and that I didn't hurt my feelings because I know I'm not a bridezilla.

:)

Let Them Eat Cake

2010-11-01T13:53:00.005-04:00

Our cake baker is old school.

She doesn't do tastings. She only does white or chocolate cake. She only does buttercream frosting. She said she has the ability to recreate anything. She comes highly recommended by our caterer and DOC. She is cheap (~$1.75 per person).

I was sold.

I didn't care that she didn't make hazelnut praline or red velvet cake. I think most people go to weddings expecting chocolate and white and are happy with that.

I don't think people need fancy surprises. Last year I went to a wedding with lemon cake. I bit into my piece of cake thinking it was white, and I did the very unladylike thing and spit it back out onto my plate.

Did I mention that I don't care for lemon (unless it's in my water) and prefer to not be surprised by it?

I LOVED the fact that she only does buttercream frosting. It's the only way to go in my book. That whipped topping frosting is disgusting. Period.

I didn't care that she didn't work with fondant because I don't like fondant anyway. Yes, it's pretty but you can't eat it. I hate going to weddings where the cake has the layer of fondant and I'm trying to peel it off in the most ladylike way possible. (I still think it looks like I'm playing with my food.)

Moving on to my design idea... I L-O-V-E, LOVE Swiss dots. Our entire wedding cake will be covered in Swiss dots.

I'm still debating as to whether I want every tier to be round, or if I want to do two round tiers and two square tiers.

Since we'll have a cake topper and not flowers I want to add color somehow. I might see if our cake baker can add ribbon to the base of each tier like the picture above.

To make our cake table stand out I plan on using a pink or green tablecloth since all the other tables will have white/ivory tablecloths.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T11:27:00.011-04:00

That's my brother and me circa 1989.

I'm the mouse. He's the dinosaur.

My mom made the costumes herself. She made almost all of our costumes growing up. I can only hope that my sewing skills are as good as hers by the time I have children. If not, luckily, she saved all of our costumes so I'll just dress my children up in them. :)

Table Name Cards

2010-10-28T20:39:00.006-04:00

I didn't want to be plain and boring and just number the tables, so our tables are going to be named after places we've traveled to together. We've been on two cruises together so that helped give us enough names for all the tables.

I designed each card in Photoshop with the location name, a photo of us at that location, and our monogram. I'll print them on cardstock or 5x7 photo paper. Then I'll print our menu on another piece of cardstock (or 5x7 photo paper) and put it behind the table name card.

I'm using chrome plated table number holders to place them on the tables. I found a bride on Craigslist who was selling 18 for $15. Score.

Silhouette Matters

2010-10-27T22:35:00.017-04:00

Ball Gown. A-Line. Empire. Mermaid. Sheath. Fit-and-Flare. Trumpet.

I'm a true believer that every girl looks best in a certain silhouette. My belief was sealed when I began searching for my dress. In my quest for the perfect dress I ventured into 5 bridal salons, traveling across state lines to go to 2 of them and tried on 40+ dresses.

I'm going to show you how I look in certain silhouettes to demonstrate how some are not for everyone. (NOTE: I will not be posting a pic of my dress. I know, I'm no fun.) I lopped my head off most of the photos because I'm not making the best faces. :)

Alright, let's get this party started!

The very first dress I tried on! Here I am in the biggest ball gown type dress I tried on. I felt like I took up too much volume, and I look like it too. No ball gown dresses for me!

Moving on to empire. Oh empire and I are not friends. I look large and frumpy-- not the words I'd like to describe myself as on my wedding day.

A-line. I think that everyone looks good in A-line... including myself.

However, I don't like the look of pick-ups, as shown with this A-line dress. I think I look squatty. I also don't like how it looks like I'm wearing a down comforter.

Fit-and-flare. I liked the look of fit-and-flare dresses or sometimes called modified A-line. When comparing this photo to the photos of myself in the empire waist dresses it looks like a completely different person to me.

I wasn't about to try on a mermaid or trumpet style dress because I don't need to overly emphasize my hips, thighs, and booty. :)

What silhouette do you think I went with?

I found my wedding cake topper.

2010-10-26T20:25:00.010-04:00

Sunday evening I set out with a goal: find a wedding cake topper.

I took to Etsy.

I had already decided that I wanted a customized topper that looked like FI and I. I also wanted to include our pup. After searching for a while I stumbled upon Lynn's Little Creations. She makes custom toppers starting at $65 for the couple (add $5-$10 per pet, depending on size)! Most custom toppers I've seen are easily $100-$500+! I'm very excited to see how it turns out-- especially my dress!

You say flower balls, I say pomanders.

2010-10-18T17:36:00.026-04:00

I call them pomanders. I don't like the term "flower balls". They look too pretty to be called "balls". Anyway, I finished my first crepe paper pomander. I'm using them as aisle decorations.

The directions on how to make them can be found here:
http://houseofsmiths.blogspot.com/2010/02/hanging-roses-i-was-browsing-blogs.html. (I ♥ this blog!)

Here is a video of Shelley from House of Smiths demonstrating how to make the crepe paper roses: http://houseofsmiths.blogspot.com/p/press.html

I used a 5 inch white Styrofoam ball form and light pink crepe paper from W*lmart ($1.25 each). The key is to use a 40% or 50% off coupon to buy the Styrofoam balls-- they're pricey. They come out to be about $2.50 with the coupons.

Jack wanted his picture taken with the pomander.

Now, I just need to decide what color of ribbon to use--green, white, or green with white polka dots. What do you think?

Eeny Meeny Miny Mo

2010-10-07T23:35:00.015-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm completing my DIY projects too soon. What if I get all them done by Christmas and I have nothing to do from January to June?! Yes, this is a thought that crept into my mind today. I know. Ridiculous.

So I'm on to my next DIY projects. I just need to choose what to do next.

I want to decorate the aisle with pomanders. I was planning on doing moss pomanders, but then I came across these gorgeous crepe paper pomanders (from House of Smiths-- awesome blog!). That pink one would look ah-mazing with a beautiful green ribbon hanger and bow. This project looks like it would take a while too, so that would help with my finishing-my-DIY-projects-too-soon phobia. Hmmm...

I want to make a "Just Married" parasol. I have the parasol. It was free. FI's youngest brother had a big party this summer and some girl left it behind and never retrieved it. Score. So if I royally mess it up I won't be as mad at myself since I'm not financially attached to the parasol. :)

I think I've changed my mind about putting a wreath on the fireplace. Instead, I think I want to put giant moss covered letters (FI and I's initials and an ampersand: C & B) on the mantel.

Pretty Program Box

2010-10-06T21:22:00.007-04:00

I finished our program box tonight. I started it yesterday so this has been my fastest DIY project so far. Yay!

I was inspired by this program box/card box that I found on Etsy a few months ago (FYI, the seller, Shea Chic Designs, has evidently filed for bankruptcy recently. She didn't send a ton of buyers their purchases and owes many of them money. Not good.). Now, back to happy thoughts of DIY!

I used the same green paint that I used for my card box. I also used the same kind of pink peony that I used for my topiaries, except I edited it a bit to get it to lay more flat.

My supplies:
10" paper mache box (JoAnn Fabric)
Paint (Lowe's)
Sponge brush (Lowe's)
Silk peony (JoAnn Fabric)
Ribbon (JoAnn Fabric)
Rhinestone button (JoAnn Fabric)
Double-sided tape
Glue gun & glue
Scissors

Instructions:
1. Paint the inside and outside of the paper mache box. 2-3 coats is best. Allow for ample drying time in between coats.

2. To get the flower to lay more flat, carefully cut out the first layer of clear pieces inside the flower that lift the petals. If needed, apply double-sided tape in between some petals and adhere petals to one another in order for them to lay flat.

3. Cut the yellow center off of the flower.

4. Cut the button part off the back of the rhinestone button.

5. Apply glue to the center of the peony.

6. Stick the rhinestone button onto the glue and hold in place while it dries.

7. When paint is dry on box, begin applying ribbon, securing with double-sided tape.

8. Make bow by cutting approximately 20 inches of ribbon. Make two big loops with the ribbon.

9. Secure the loops with small bead lines of glue at each lower fold and/or where the two pieces of ribbon meet.

10. Glue the peony to the bow.

11. Glue the bow/peony to the box on top of the ribbon.

"Music is what feelings sound like." Cont.

2010-10-04T18:18:00.000-04:00

Another song I like is "You've Got the Love" by Florence + the Machine. I love the sound of her voice and the general sound of the song. This would be a cocktail hour/dinner song.

A favorite among some of my friends is "Luckiest" by Ben Folds-- a very good first dance choice.

I love, love, LOVE Adele. She's so soulful. We'll definitely play "Make You Feel My Love" performed by Adele.

"Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti and Spearhead is a great cocktail hour song.

FI is a Zac Brown Band fan (and I am too). We'll try to work "Whatever It Is" into the day somewhere.

"Music is what feelings sound like."

2010-10-03T20:53:00.002-04:00

I'm a music lover. I love all kinds of music--rap, indie pop, downtempo, hip-hop, classic rock, alternative, acoustic, alternative rock, pop, r&b, top 40. I will admit, I have to go light on country. Love me some Rascal Flatts, though! FI loves music as well. He's been playing electric and acoustic guitar for 10 years. So needless to say, music is going to play a large part in our special day.

One song that I kept hearing was "She is Love" by Parachute. We'll probably play this during cocktail hour or dinner.

We've chosen "You and Me" by Dave Matthews Band for our recessional (beginning around 1:02).

One of our first dance song contenders is "Stay With You" by John Legend.

The other first dance song contender is "Love Song" by The Cure, performed by 311.

Another song that I love is "Lucky" by Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat.

I don't know where I would fit this song into our day, but I really like it. I found it a few years ago on myspace music. "Man and Wife" by Michelle Featherstone. I love her voice and the lyrics.

Who doesn't like Michael Buble? "Everything" by Micheal Buble.

I attended a wedding this weekend where the bride walked down the aisle to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" performed by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. It was beautiful.

Paper Lanterns & Lights

2010-09-30T22:51:00.000-04:00

We're using round, paper lanterns to decorate the area above the dance floor. I purchased some paper lanterns from the Paper Lantern Store (www.paperlanternstore.com) a month or so ago to get an idea for the overall look I was trying to achieve. The lanterns cost $1.23-$2.33, depending on size. I knew I wanted to have pink, green, and possibly white lanterns. When looking at the website I couldn't decide between two shades of green so I ordered one of each so I could see them in person and make a decision.

To go with the lanterns, I wanted to purchase lantern lights so that they would glow above the dance floor. I know some people will recommend "throwies" but I didn't want to have to track down all the materials. Plus I didn't think they would be more cost-effective because from what I read 1 "throwie" would be $1, and I think I would need at least 2-3 "throwies" in the bigger lanterns to properly light them. If you're interested in making "throwies" here is a tutorial: http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Throwies/

Last week I met with my day-of-coordinator (DOC). She showed me a photo of a reception at our venue where the bride and groom used paper lanterns. (I posted the photo to the right. Note: I plan to hang our lanterns closely together than how these were hung.) We counted roughly 25 lanterns in the photo. My DOC asked me to not go over 30 lanterns because of the labor to hang them up (she and her team will be hanging them the morning of the wedding). So after meeting with her I decided to order 30 lantern lights so I see the two different shades of green with the lights. Then I could make a final decision between the two greens and order the lanterns. Oy, what a tedious process. :)

The lantern lights came in the mail the other day! I ordered them from www.save-on-crafts.com. Since I ordered more than 12 I received them for $1.69 each. Direct link: http://www.save-on-crafts.com/lanternlight.html

After putting the lights in both green lanterns I decided to go with the darker green. I'm going to order varied sizes. As of right now, I plan on ordering pink and green in 20", 16", and 12" and white in 16", 14", and 12".

Wedding Cake Toppers

2010-09-27T21:27:00.000-04:00

There are so many choices! I just can't decide! I'm not huge a fan of the traditional cake topper. However, if there was one in the family and it was a tradition to pass it down I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to use it. Hmmm... maybe I should start my own tradition. Anyway, I've found some cute and interesting cake toppers while on the quest to find my own.

I've come across traditional cake toppers with a twist on Etsy. Most can be custom designed to look like the bride and groom. The downside: the price-tag.

I've found cute, whimsical cake toppers.

I've founds tons of love bird-inspired cake toppers (one of my considerations).

And of course, the monogram wedding cake topper. Most I've seen are DIY by the lovely ladies from theknot. Many of them get their letters from Crafty Eddy. Crafty Eddy, Edward Reitler, lives in Georgia and makes various wood creations. He doesn't have a website, but you can contact him directly at craftyeddy@gmail.com.

Chair Covers, Sashes, and Overlays. Oh My!

2010-09-26T21:39:00.001-04:00

I've seen my venue with chair covers and without chair covers. I've decided that it makes a significant difference.

Without Chair Covers:

With Chair Covers:

I'm still debating what to do in this department, but I'm heavily leaning towards buying everything instead of renting. I've looked around my area and it's roughly $3.25 to rent a chair cover and sash. So for 125 guests that's $426.25 (not including if they have a delivery/set-up charge and tax). I've also looked online. At linentablecloth.com, they sell white, polyester chair covers (pictured at right) for $1.99 each. They have free shipping with orders over $50, so I wouldn't have to pay shipping. They also sell pink organza sashes, 10 for $7.49 ($.75 each) or satin sashes, 10 for $9.49 ($.95 each). Let's say I go with 125 chair covers and the organza sashes. For 125 guests that's $346.12. I'd be saving $79.13, and I could sell the chair covers and sashes after the wedding to another bride and recoup some of my costs.

I also found some great linens at www.linenclothsfactory.com. They sell their organza sashes for $.69 each. They also have very pretty crinkle taffeta sashes that I would love to have. They're $1.29 each.
Here are some more sashes and sash prices from linenclothsfactory.com:
Polyester sashes: $1.19 each
Satin sashes: $.85 each
L'Amour Satin sashes: $1.49 each

I need to figure out the look I'm going for before I make a big decision and purchase on linens. But here are some of my inspiration pics so far. (I can't decide if I want to go with pink or green sashes.)

Topiary Fun!

2010-09-24T15:43:00.003-04:00

We're getting married in front of a large, double-sided, stone fireplace. I decided to make two pink peony topiaries to set on the left and right ledges of the fireplace.

I set out, purchased, and gathered the following materials:

Two 6 inch foam balls (JoAnn Fabric)
Two white pots (Menards)
Silk pink peony sprays (JoAnn Fabric)
Floral foam (Dollar Tree)
One bag of Spanish Moss (Michael's)
Bundle of 5 twisted willow branches (JoAnn Fabric)
Scotchgard (Walmart)
Hot glue gun
Tape measure
Hedge clippers
Knife

Instructions for how to make one topiary:

1. Take the peony heads off of the stems.

2. Begin placing some of the peonies in the foam ball to determine spacing.

3. After determining spacing, remove the peonies.

4. Begin applying hot glue to the green tip of peony and inserting it in the pre-made hole.

5. Continue step 4 until the entire ball is covered with peonies.

6. Insert 4 floral foam pieces into the pot

7. Determine the center of the pot and insert a bundle of twisted willow branches into the floral foam.

8. Use the remaining 4 floral foam pieces to secure the willow branches in the pot. You may need to use your knife to cut the foam to fit.

9. With your tape measure, measure 16 inches up the willow branches and make a notch with your scissors or knife.

10. With your hedge clippers, chop off the willow branches above your notch.

11. Take your peony ball and insert it on top of the willow branches, making at least a 1 inch hole in the foam.

12. Insert hot glue into hole in foam in peony ball and immediately place on top of willow branches. Hold it in place for a few minutes, allowing the glue to dry.

13. Lay the Spanish moss over the floral foam in the pot, covering it so that the floral foam is not visible. If you wish to secure the moss, glue it to the floral foam using the glue gun.

Here is the breakdown of the expenses:
2 white pots: $12.00
2 stryofoam balls: $5.00
4 bundles of silk pink peonies: $37.52
4 packages of 4 pieces of floral foam: $4.00
1 bag of Spanish moss: $2.50
2 bundles of 4 willow branches: $2.50
TOTAL: $63.52 for two... $31.76 each

Yeah, I know, they were kind of pricey. But I can use them as a decor piece in our home after the wedding, or I can sell them with my other wedding items and hopefully recoup some of the costs. Plus, when my florist mentioned topiaries for our ceremony she quoted me $65-$155 per topiary (although they would be larger), so I think I definitely saved when looking at it from that perspective.

Monogram

2010-09-23T21:13:00.003-04:00

I made it using Photoshop. The fonts I used were Brock Script (the "N" and "June 25, 2011") and Book Antiqua ("Chelsea and Brad").

I downloaded Brock Script from www.dafont.com. I can't remember where I downloaded Book Antiqua from, but if you google it you can find a site where you can download it for free.

I used the following tutorial to create my monogram: http://weddingmonograms.blogspot.com/2008/03/letter-behind-monogram-tutorial.html.

The blogger, Brianna Nichole, has some great tutorials. I also love her font bio: http://danandbrianna.com/bio_bio/font%20bio.html.

Random tidbit: Once I got the colors I wanted for the monogram I wrote down the color codes. This has helped me maintain the exact colors for other projects when possible.

Happy monogram making! :)

The Never-Ending Card Box Project

2010-09-21T17:08:00.007-04:00

After almost 2 weeks it's done!
At first I was going to cover the boxes with satin fabric, so I spray painted them white so the brown of the paper mache didn't show through the fabric. The fabric didn't work out so swell, so I decided to paint the boxes. I went to Lowe's and purchased a half pint (sample size) of latex paint in white. I painted all three boxes white. After painting them all white I decided that I should paint one box green and one box pink. So I went back to Lowe's and picked out a green and pink that best matched the ribbon I was using. The green was great-- the pink, not so much. So I went back, again, to Lowe's for a darker shade of pink. I painted the box the darker shade of pink and it was too dark. So I decided to mix the paints and make my own shade of pink. (I swear the bottom box has 10 coats of paint.) Finally, success!

After what seemed to be endless painting, I cut out the tops and bottoms of the appropriate boxes with my Xacto knife. After cutting out the tops and bottoms, I started decorating the boxes with ribbon. I secured the ribbon with double-sided tape.

I purchased the white, 3 x 5 picture frame at Kohl's. I wrote "Cards" in green, BrockScript font and printed it on textured scrapbook paper.

My supplies:
Paper mache boxes (14" round, 10" square, 10" round)
Paint
Sponge brush
Scissors
Xacto knife
Double-sided tape
Ribbon
Silk peonies
Scrapbook paper
Picture frame
Instructions for Card Box:
1. Paint the paper mache boxes using your paint and sponge brush. Two coats are best. Allow for ample drying time in between coats.

2. After the paint has dried begin cutting out the tops and bottoms of the boxes.

3. Begin with the middle box. With a pencil, draw a square 1 inch inside the edge of the bottom of the box. With the Xacto knife, cut along the pencil line.

4. Use the medium box as a guide-- place it how you want it on top of the large box lid. With the pencil, trace along the cut-out edge. With the Xacto knife, cut along the pencil line.

5. Moving on to small box. With the pencil, draw a circle 1 inch inside the edge of bottom of the box. With the Xacto knife, cut along the pencil line.

6. Use the small box as a guide-- place it how you want it on top of the medium box lid. With the pencil, trace along the cut-out edge. With the Xacto knife, cut along the pencil line.

7. Decorate the boxes as you wish.

8. If decorating with ribbon, use double-sided to secure the ribbon to the boxes.

9. When finished decorating the boxes, secure the boxes to each other by applying a thin bead of hot glue from the glue gun to the inside edge of the bottom of each box.

10. If decorating with silk flowers, attach with glue gun and glue.

Instructions for "Cards" sign:
1. Print the word "Cards" on colored scrapbook paper.

2. Cut out to fit 3.5" by 5" picture frame.

3. Insert into picture frame.

Vitamin String Quartet

2010-09-19T23:09:00.002-04:00

I didn't know about the Vitamin String Quartet until I came across them on theknot.com discussion boards. Numerous ladies kept mentioning them so I had to do a google search. I instantly fell in love. Since a string quartet isn't in our budget I plan on having our DJ play a selection of Vitamin String Quartet songs as our guests enter and wait for the ceremony to begin. I'll probably incorporate a song or two of theirs into the processional.
These are my favorites:

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Crazy Love by Van Morrison, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Love Remains the Same by Gavin Rossdale, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Look After You by the Fray, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Beautiful Day by U2, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Dare You To Move by Switchfoot, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Home by Michael Buble, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Realize by Colbie Caillat, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Hey, There Delilah by the Plain White T's, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Bubbly by Colbie Caillat, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Love Song by The Cure, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

Dare You to Move by Switchfoot

Love Remains the Same by Gavin Rossdale

Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional

Beautiful Day by U2