I’ve been feeling rather bold today, so I put together a bold inspiration board for your eyes to fall in love with. Happy Wedding Wednesday lovelies. Don’t be afraid to be bold!
Assembled via Pinterest:
1. Invites
2. Tablescape
3. Shoes
4. Design Inspiration
5. Wooden Hearts
6. Gown
I was an English major in college and am now employed as a writer. If you can’t tell from those two facts, and the fact that I WRITE A BLOG, I kinda sorta enjoy writing, and the written word. Now, on this blog, I have been known to take certain liberties with grammar. Do not take that to mean I don’t know proper grammar. This style of writing is just my way of adding my personality into the posts. I like to write them the way I would speak them. ALL DRAMATIC LIKE.
I think it’s clear at this point in the post, so I’m gonna say it one more time then stop: I’m a grammar geek (and I’m proud of it). Soooooo (<~ artistic license), when I came across these book inspired centerpieces on my DIY wedding day, I’m hoping you understand why I got excited!
My favorite ones are on the left, with the hydrangeas (duh I’m obsessed) stacked on top of the books and the wooden numbers in front. There is something so simple and elegant and amazing about them. LOVE THEM.
Obviously, if you know me, you know that I couldn’t just look at this post and say, oh those are lovely, now I’ll go back to my life and think of other things. No, I must obsessively scour the internet for other book centerpieces that I adore and post them here for your delight!
This is where that happens:
Erin McFarland Photography
Erin Hearts Court via OnceWed
Miller and Miller Wedding Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs
Jessica Claire via Lifework Media
Kate Harrison Photography via Ruffled
How do you not love these? You can’t! That’s how. I hope this satisfied your inner book lover!
I’m a New England girl born and raised. Up here, we love us some fall. Football is back this week, Sam Adams Octoberfest and Shipyard Pumpkin Ale are on tap, it’s 50 degrees when I wake up and 50 degrees when I go to sleep, but it’s 85 degrees at lunchtime, the apple orchard opens on Saturday and last week I saw the first few red/orange/yellow leaves… there’s no doubt about it, fall is here.
Yesterday, I was at my parent’s house and I saw a copy of Lowe’s Creative Ideas magazine on the table. I started flipping through it and was immediately inspired by the pictures of the “pumpkin party.”
I saw this picture:
Decorating pumpkins with hardware via Lowes
and thought, OMG what cute table numbers those would be! I should have gotten married in the fall!! So of course, I had to run to Google and start finding creative fall design inspiration. Some of these would be great at weddings and other would make stylish additions to any fall shin-dig. I’ve put it all together in a pretty little package for your eyes, enjoy!!
Pumpkin beverage cooler via Southern Living
Pumpkin place cards via The Knot
For a candy bar or a favor, who doesn't love caramel apples?!
Autumn bouquet featured on The Knot
Classy-lanterns you can DIY
Pies for dessert via Brides.com
Fall boutonnieres from Martha Stewart
Do you love fall as much as me? What are your favorite fall wedding inspirations?
I have a lot on my mind today. A LOT. It may be the lack of sleep or the lack of time to complete the craft-disaster that I have started in the living room, but whatever the cause, I’m even more of a talker than usual today, so bear with me. (The actual wedding stuff starts at number 4, so you can skip ahead if you are short on time!)
1. One of the radio stations I listen to on the way into the office (I have a 10 minute drive and listen to four different stations… ADD much?) does a segment called: Tool Tuesdays. It’s where they get a lil something off their chest by blasting someone (not by name) who was a huge tool to them this week. For example, one of the hosts talked about a guy on the ferry back from block island who was hammered and laid down on the seats next to her and kept hitting her unknowingly until she had to get up and walk away.
I’ve decided I like this, so today, my Tuesday Tool is the person who was driving through our neighborhood and felt it necessary to throw the bones from their chicken wings out the window as they went. Dear anonymous person, I have a dog, LOTS of us in this neighborhood have dogs. Dogs can smell chicken/bones from a mile away, but chicken bones splinter when chewed and can slice through the insides of a pup like mine and kill them. I did not enjoy our last walk, where every 10 steps I had to stop, pry open Remy’s mouth, stick my whole hand in, and pull out the bone he was trying so desperately to steal. If you insist on eating in your car, bring a bag for trash, because I don’t appreciate you using my neighborhood as your garbage can, and if anything happens to my dog as a result of your negligence, trust me, I’ll find you. YAY! That felt deliciously good.
Someone is cranky that mommy took away the chicken bones and tried to replace them with chicken flavored Nylabones, which I fear are not quite the same.
2. I always had OK skin. By OK, I mean occasional small breakouts, usually clear with the exception of a huge, massive, right-in-the-middle-of-my-face period pimple. When I started working out obsessively in November, my skin started breaking out like crazy. I have been really self conscious about it. I’ve gone to the dermatologist and used all this crazy, expensive stuff and was frustrated that nothing was working. Then, this weekend, a makeup artist told me that using the acne medicine is drying out my skin. As a result, my body says “OMG skin is dry! Must produce more oil!” So my skin overproduces oil and I breakout. She told me to wash with a mild soap and then use a light moisturizer that won’t clog my pores. It’s seriously been two days and I can not believe the change in my skin. HOLY CRAP. I feel like an idiot for paying so much for that foam prescription from the doctor. You live, you learn.
3. Home ownership SUCKS the big one. Our garage door broke. It was supposed to be a simple fix. We took it down and found out we have a custom sized door and have to have it custom ordered ($$). Then, when the company came to take the measurements they say “did you know your garage is slanted?” Are you frickin kidding me? Do they just want money? Nope, they don’t, it’s actually REALLY slanted. I either don’t look at the garage, or I tilt my head slightly to the right every time I do. So E and his dad decide they are gonna use a hydraulic jack to raise the garage up til it’s level. Once they really get into it, they find THIS:
This, my dears, is what happens when termites move into your garage and don't pay rent.
We had someone come look at it ($$) and they said that there is no live infestation (PHEW) and that the area has actually been treated previously, but never repaired (thanks previous home-owners). E is a huge fan of “if we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it right” so he’s ripping all the damaged wood out and replacing it ($$). Dear home-ownership, I miss my apartment. Love J.
4. ACTUAL WEDDING STUFF! Hahaha I warned you I was talkative today. Here are my aisle decorations:
Lovely right? Aww I think they’re just SO LOVELY. They were also fantastically easy and inexpensive. Here’s how I made them:
Step 1: Buy mason jars (or really any glass containers… I just love the look of mason jars).
I paid $9.99 for the case. I couldn't find them anywhere (except the craft store where they wanted $1.99 per jar) so I bought them online and had to pay shipping. Last week, I found them at BigY for the same price, obviously no shipping. Shoulda waited. Shucks.
2. Put a little sand in the bottom. I shared my budget sand find here, but I need to add that I found play sand at Toys R Us that is actually the white sandy beaches kind of sand, that you can use for the sand ceremony thingie that obviously I’m not doing because I don’t even know what it’s called. Anywhooo, they had a big bag, either 40 or 50lbs like mine, for $6.98.
Step 3: Toss some seashells in there. I bought mine in bulk for under $5 per half gallon bag. I bought wayyy too many and have like six or more half gallon bags left. If you’re in the market for white shells, let me know!
Step 4: Tie the ribbon on. Make sure you tie the ribbon very very tightly around the neck of the jar. The sand and shells can get heavy. Knot the ribbon at the back of the jar, and then put a second knot at the end of the ribbon to loop it around the chair or hook you are using along your aisle. Test each jar by hanging it off your arm and swinging gently to make sure you have tied it tightly enough. A beach wedding like mine is sure to have wind, and you’d hate to come down the aisle and see all the decorations you spent so much time on laying on the ground.
Step 5: If you want to use real flowers, you can stash these away at this point and then fill with water and flowers on the day of. Or, you can cut a silk flower to fit and place it in the jar.
My favorite thing about this craft is that you don’t have to be overly crafty to do it. Plus there isn’t much equipment required. All I needed was wire cutters to trim the silk flowers. If my hydrangea bushes ever decide to flower, I may use my own flowers in these, but they aren’t cooperating (and the two bushes that are blooming came in PINK this season. I could have used white, which they were last year, or blue… but they came in pink… of course).
Hope you are all having a great day so far. If you want to blast a Tuesday Tool or share a non-crafty craft of your own in the comments, well that would just make my day!
So we have 19 days to go. Being in the teens is terrifying (sigh just how I remember the teens the first time round). I’ve been working on tissue paper pom poms but I can’t seem to make them look as pretty and round as everyone else. So I was googling around, as I usually do, and I came across this awesome post from Bobbi at How Does She? Her post shows step by step instructions for how to make pom poms that *last* using……. cupcake liners!! How genius!
Perfection right? They look so awesome! I love the way the edges of the cupcake liner give the pom pom such a unique texture! I might have to try this and let you know how mine turn out. All you need is:
If you are as intrigued by these little wonders as me and want to get the full instructions, head on over to How Does She? I’ll definitely share my pictures if I get these to work!!
…what is it? SAND!!! If you’re like me and planning a beach wedding, you probably have need for sand. I’m using it in a couple places on my big day. One of the three vases in my centerpieces will have sand and the box that will hold my place cards will have sand. You can buy sand at most craft stores and it’s usually about the same price. IKEA has it for $1.99 for a 2lb bag. I heard $1.99 and thought WOW, good deal! But then I realized I needed a bunch and thought… hmm this is kind of expensive. I wonder if there’s a cheaper alternative that might get the job done just as well.
Guess what, there is!
I was at Home Depot last weekend looking for some plants to replace the ones I planted in April that are already dead (I suck at watering) when I came across this:
That, my dear friends, is premium play sand! I’m not sure what makes it premium, but I’ll tell you why I bought it. This is a 50lb* bag of sand (25 times larger than the bag at IKEA). Guess what it costs. Go ahead, guess. I’ll wait. {Elevator music} Ok enough jazz saxophone. This 50lb bag of sand costs $2.98… two mother-flipping dollars and ninety-eight cents* for 50lb of sand. Now this sand is play sand, so it cannot be used for that sand ceremony thing. But for centerpieces and the like, umm hello it does the trick.
Are you obsessed with bargain hunting like me? Share your frugal finds in the comments!!
*Online it is listed as 40lb for $3.98. I purchased in store 50lb for $2.98.
Hollaaaa city of squallaaaaa… anybody? anybody? I know somebody other than me saw it, cuz it made $137.4 million this weekend. My review: funny, but it was the same movie, just a little grosser, and in a dirtier city. Other than going to see Hangover II, I got a nice little tan, took pup to the lake for his first swim of the summer, and partied a little too hard yesterday (it’s acceptable to keep my purple stunna shades on in the office til noon right?)
OH YEAH, I also did my table numbers, which is the reason for this post, DUH. So I wanted something that would look cute, follow color scheme, and would be cheap. I considered just printing them on some nice paper I have left over from the invites, gluing them to a dowel, and sticking them in the centerpiece, but then I decided on this option.
I love them! OK so here’s how I chose to make these. Note: I did this project over two days.
For day one, you will need wooden numbers, paint, a paint brush, and a space ready for crafting.
I got my numbers at ACMoore for $1.29 each because I wanted big chunky numbers. Craft stores have an assortment of numbers for prices ranging from under $1.00 to over $5.00. I chose a black metallic paint for my numbers and put on two coats. (I didn’t put them in the pictures, but gloves are definitely a good idea. I put them on after my third number so I could get the front and the sides all at once.)
I let the numbers dry overnight (especially letters like 4 and 8 that have inside sides… these areas needed longer to dry and I didn’t want to take any chances).
For day two, you will need picture frames (with removable glass), colored cardstock, newspaper (optional), glue (not pictured), glue gun (not pictured), fun scissors (optional) and regular scissors or a cutting board.
I got my picture frames at the dollar store, for $1 duh. The cardstock I got on sale at Michaels and had a coupon. I only used like 4 sheets so it cost me about $1.50 for all the cardstock. I used an old newspaper from the pile we keep from the fireplace (yay for free). After testing methods out, I found this to be the easiest way to do it.
1. Unwrap all picture frames. Open them and remove paper and glass. Separate cardboard frame backing from front of frame.
2. Go through your newspaper and find pages that have 4×6 sections of just text (I took one frame backing and placed it on each page to make sure.)
3. Cut out the newspaper section and glue it to the cardboard backing. (I cut larger than I needed, put the glue on the cardboard, stuck the newspaper down, and then trimmed off the excess.)
4. Use fun scissors to cut out a piece of cardstock paper slightly smaller than 4×6. (I used 1/4 inch on each side. You might need to adjust the measurement based on the size of the trim on your frames. If you use too small a space, you won’t even see the newspaper.)
5. Glue the cardstock onto the newspaper and reassemble the frame. (Below is a reassembled frame without newspaper, just to show that option too!)
6. Once all the frames are assembled, plug in your hot glue gun and heat it up. If you haven’t already, at this point you should make yourself a cocktail. (I put of shot of pomegranate juice in the bottom of my glass and then added skinny girl margarita. It was very delicious.)
8. Use the hot glue gun to attach the dried wooden numbers to the cardstock. (If you use big chunky numbers like me, you may have to flip your frame for double digit tables.)
YAY DONE! Now just let them dry a little (seriously it just takes a little… that hot glue dries SO FAST!) Hope you like my table numbers! What did you all do this weekend? Anything fun? Anyone else do DIY projects this weekend?
As I approach the one month to go mark (can’t believe how fast time flies!!!) I’m focusing more than ever on the little details. This holiday weekend I’m making the props for our “First Look” shoot. The flowers are all being delivered to the venue, so we won’t have them in time for the FL, but that’s A-OK with me cuz I’ve got some crafty ideas for these photos!
Another project I’m trying to take care of this weekend is chair labels for the reception. I love the little bunting flags, but we don’t have them anywhere else so I think they might look a little out of place. I love the ampersand, so that’s in the running. But I think I’m going to do something that matches my crafty idea for the first looks. (I’ll add pictures as soon as I make them. The involve newspaper, wooden dowels, ribbon, assorted color card stock, and lots of glue.)
If you are looking to do something for your chair labels, but aren’t super crafty or don’t have the time there are plenty of resources out there. These chair labels are available on The Knot for free. They come in three colors (blue, pink, and green). Just choose your color and your initial and hit print!
Happy DIY’ing! What are you working on this long weekend? Any tips to share with other brides? Lets hear em!
Program/Fan/Game (Picture from Intimate Weddings)
Since I’m getting married on a day that is known for being hot HOT HAWT, I’m all about programs that double as fans (more for the fan than the program, since we are having a quick ceremony). Then I found THESE program/fan/game creations (originally via Della Stella, but the link is broken, so the instructions I got were from Intimate Weddings) and I’m kinda jealous that I don’t get to play (I’ll make a few extras for myself!)
We are doing three versions. Version one has a word search, like the one in the post. Version two has the dot/square game (does that thing have a name) where you start with a grid of dots and each person places one line vertically or horizontally on each turn with the goal of being the one to complete the most boxes at the end. My family always used to play that game at restaurants on the back of the paper placemat while we waited for our food. Version three has a bunch of little tick-tack-toe boards.
Below are some of my favorite program fans. What are some of your favorite program ideas? Did you do programs?
PS. I just called my mom while working on this post and asked her to send me a check for the groom’s cake so that I can keep it a secret (after I blew E’s surprise Christmas present by forgetting we have a shared bank account and credit cards, DOH!) She of course agreed (she’s awesome) but then threw me for a bit of loop with this question: “Who is doing the blessing before dinner at the wedding?” I was thrown because, as I may have mentioned, E and I are not religious and are having a non-religious ceremony. I don’t want to insult my mom, because she happens to be very religious, but I’m not interested in having a big blessing before dinner. I’ll just tell her when I see her for Easter/her bday this weekend, and I’m sure it will be OK after some initial disappointment, but for some reason I’m already feeling guilty. Have any of you had issues balancing your parents desires and what you really want on your day? How do you deal with it? Do you take the blunt approach (“it’s my day!”) or do you prefer to be a little gentler? Personally, I prefer gentle, in this instance!
Yellow Fans (Picture from The Knot)
Straw Fan (Picture from The Knot)
Cotton Fans (Picture from The Knot)
Folding Fan (Picture from The Knot)
Striped Program Fan (Picture from The Knot)
Heart Shaped Fan (Image from The Knot)
E just asked me if I’m going to “do something about the dining room table.” “What do you mean?” I asked. So he walked me into the dining room. So tell me, fellow DIY brides, this is normal right? HAHA I’m pretty sure there’s a table under there somewhere, but hey my first attempt at the pom pom looks pretty awesome right?
I guess it does look kinda bad.
