DIY Wedding | Do It Yourself | Ideas

Small Scrap Projects

Lish Dorset — Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Larissa of mmmcrafts offers this great pattern for a bed for small critters in her Etsy shop. Very sweet! She references this pattern is great for scraps - are you working on any projects this weekend using materials you already have on hand? Happy Memorial Day!

Via Oh Sweet Babies

How-To: Pill Bottle Faux Bamboo Vases

Rachel Hobson — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:20:00 +0000

I have a massive collection of empty pill bottles that I can't seem to let myself recycle, because I feel certain there is some cool way to use them. Thanks to Michelle of Mich L in L.A., I have a new idea to try. She created these cool faux bamboo vases with her empty pill bottles, and the trompe l'oeil effect is impressive! [via Creative Jewish Mom]

How-To: Sew a Garter

Haley Pierson-Cox — Sat, 26 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Are their wedding bells in your future? Show off your craft skills while you're showing off your legs with this garter sewing tutorial from Something About Katie.

Not a bride-to-be? No problem! Any day's a good day to add a little va-va-voom to your wardrobe, am I right?

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Sewing Machine 911

Lish Dorset — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Get to know your sewing machine, thanks to Claudia Miller and her free online course on Craftsy. You can view Sewing Machine 911 as many times as you wish as you familiarize yourself with sewing machine basics.

Make Your Own Fire Pit

Meg Allan Cole — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:00:00 +0000

This is one of the coolest summer projects I have see yet! The Art of Doing Stuff shows us how to make a freaking fire pit on the cheap! Now all I need is the ingredients to make 'Smores and you know, a New York City apartment with a backyard....

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Review: HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275

AndrewS — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Photo: HP TopShot

The HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275 is not your average scanner/printer. Unlike a 2D scanning bed, which can only take images of items that can lie flat, the HP TopShot has a camera and lights attached to an arm that takes pictures from directly above the scanning bed (six images are captured and automatically combined into a one image.) This allows the user to document anything that fits reasonably under the camera's arm, which means the HP TopShot is ideal for documenting small 3D works that would be impossible to document with an average scanner (like a slice of pizza).

The HP TopShot's 3D scanning capability definitely has the potential to be very useful to crafters who work on a smaller scale and have trouble documenting their work. It's like a miniature photo studio that also streamlines the process of posting images of projects by directly connecting to the internet.

One of my favorite ways to document 3D work is as animated GIF files. Not only is it a way to quickly show off a 3D piece from many different angles, but it can add character to the work itself. I discovered that the TopShot it is an amazing tool for creating high quality stop motion animated GIF files. This also means that the TopShot could be a great way to document the progression of a small project in a clean white space away from the rest of your work-in-progress mess.

Here are some animated GIFs that I made with the HP TopShot when I was working on my tutorial for The Pizzoetrope:

The HP TopShot can take longer to scan and send an image to the computer than an average digital camera takes to display a picture but, because you can check the image quality right away, it saves time on having to go back and take pictures again if they turn out to be blurry. Plus, the HP TopShot comes with software applications that allow you to send images directly to online storage and auction sites. So if you are someone who uses a digital camera to document small 3D work, like jewelry, and then upload it to your computer and post it on the web later, the process of documenting your work could be better and more efficient with the HP TopShot.

It's worth noting that the HP TopShot is probably not for everyone. It is an unusual scanner that is ideal for a specific type of work, but it also has limitations. Scanned documents are impressive for a digital photograph, but still not as good as most of the flatbed scanners that I've worked with. I scanned several documents and was able to read them and easily make out the signatures on them. I also scanned several images from magazines and found that the image quality was usually quite good, but if there was an irregularity on the surface of a glossy magazine page I often got a reflection from the lights that could ruin the scanned image.

The bottom line is that it is a 3D scanner that also happens to accommodate 2D scanning needs. There are lots of good 2D inkjet scanner/printers out there already, but if you are someone who wants to document smaller 3D work for display on the internet and can use the efficiency of a laser printer, then this printer might be perfect for you.

For more examples of the quality of image that the HP TopShot is capable of, take a look at the HP TopShot's Photostream.

Handmade Gnomes

Meg Allan Cole — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Matsutake does it again with these adorable little handmade gnomes! The tutorial is so easy it is wordless. The word I would use would be cute.

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Memorial Day Flag Cookie Platter

Lish Dorset — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

We've got a LOT of plans for Memorial Day weekend this year - what about you guys? I love this take on cookie artisan Maryann's flag cookie platter by Lisa of the Barefoot Baker. Lisa shows you how to ice these beautiful cookies that results in a beautiful arrangement.

Via Tonya Staab

How-To: Love Note Potholder

Haley Pierson-Cox — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Looking for a potholder that sends the right message? This love note potholder from Beverly at Flamingo Toes gets right to the point, don't you think?

Head over to her site to see the full tutorial!

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How-To: Perler Bead Bracelets

Rachel Hobson — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We're heading in to summer, and that means I'm collecting ideas for projects that I can do with the kids while they are out of school. I'm bookmarking this collection of perler bead bracelet tutorials that Helena of Craft and Creativity gathered as something to try with my daughter. The bold colors and geometric designs are perfect, and the techniques look challenging enough to keep it interesting, but simple enough to keep it from getting frustrating.

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baby subway art floating frame

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:19:00 +0000

This is for a shower this weekend. I crackled the frame using white glue, and the vinyl is between 2 pieces of glass. I used indoor vinyl, and wanted to be sure it was protected. I love that my Lynx cuts such small details!

matching tag :)

How Do You Want Your Wedding Reception To End?

breanna.gunn@gmail.com (Jamie Dawson) — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:35:43 +0000

At the end of a wedding reception, traditionally the bride and groom have chosen a slow, meaningful song to dance together to while all guests form a circle around them and show their love and support for the newlyweds.

This is a fine ending to the night – as wedding DJ’s we see it all the time. If you are traditional and want a romantic finale to your evening, then by all means, dance to that special song from your high school prom when you realized you were in love, or the song that played during your first date.

In fact, if you are a true romantic, a new idea for ending your night is having a last dance after the last dance. What this means is, have your last dance with all of your guests whether you dance just as husband and wife or you invite all guests to join in with you.

Photo by Cregg Anarino

Then, have your wedding DJ ask all guests to step outside of the reception room as he/she plays the final dance song of the evening – for just you and your new husband or wife.

Your wedding will go by in the blink of an eye and with so much excitement buzzing in the room, it’s often difficult to find a moment to take a step back and realize what this day means. By having a last dance after the last dance, it gives the two of you a few minutes to dance alone and reflect on the start of your new marriage and the party you just had in honor of you.

Mark Your Exit

Depending on your reception site, you may even have all guests lined up and waiting with sparklers for you to make your exit from the dance floor. This makes for a fabulous picture as well!

However, if you want to shake the tradition up a bit and finalize your party with an upbeat, I don’t want the night to ever end kind of vibe, then we suggest having two last dance selections.

Choose a special song that has meaning, or that you just love, to be your second to last song of the evening. You can either keep the tradition of dancing amongst a circle of your friends and family, or invite all guests to join you on the dance floor for the last slow song of the night.

Then, for the final song of the evening, have your wedding DJ play a selection to get everyone pumped up and remember what a blast they had at your reception. (This is also a great idea if you are having an after party and want to rev up your guests for continued partying). Songs such as “Time of My Life” by the Black Eyed Peas or “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money are both great choices for ending your night.

Whichever way you choose to end your wedding – slow and romantic or upbeat and crazy, make sure to relax and enjoy every moment of your special day!

Congratulations and best of luck!

Jamie Dawson is co-owner of Avid Entertainment – a husband and wife owned Wedding DJ company out of Massachusetts. On a weekly basis, Jamie aims to provide valuable and/or entertaining wedding planning information to engaged couples on Avid Entertainment’s blog page.

Video: Bedazzled Sunglasses

Lish Dorset — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Our own Meg Allan Cole is concerned about your sunglasses. She's worried that your sunglasses are too plain to properly enjoy this holiday weekend. Luckily, she and the gals from Emotistyle have a solution - bedazzled shades! Check out Meg's video, after the jump, for an easy upgrade to your current sunglasses. If you like rhinestones, you'll love this.

Chevron Earrings

Meg Allan Cole — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Make yourself a new accessory for the weekend with this how-to by Creme` de la Craft.

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Recipe: Pancakes on a Stick

Rachel Hobson — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Pancakes are a frequent weekend delicacy in our house, and I can only imagine how my kids would flip out if I prepared them lollipop-style. Melissa from No. 2 Pencil has a recipe over on Tatertos and Jello for making pancakes on a stick, perfect for special occasions or just a random weekend morning.

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Help Craft a New Cosplay Wardrobe for ThinkGeek's Timmy

Rachel Hobson — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:00:00 +0000

One of my all-time favorite sources for geeky goods is ThinkGeek, and their trusty monkey mascot, Timmy, is in need of some crafty assistance.

Timmy has been re-arranging the costumes in his cosplay trunk. We know what this means. San Diego Comic-Con is coming and we need stitchers, knitters, crochet hookers, hot gluers, haberdashers, and crafty-makers for Timmy's Volunteer Costume Corps!
We started this project two years ago and we still cannot adequately thank the volunteers that have made Timmy's current extensive collection possible. Each and every costume we've received has elicited squees of delight (video proof of the squees) and they've served us extremely well over the years. With your costumes, Timmy has traveled the world as an ambassador of geekery. He's met the shiniest people and probably flung poo in places that we will never see with our own eyes.

Do you have the time and skillz to take Timmy's cosplay collection from the trunk to the wardrobe? Scroll down for our costume wish list, take a look at his existing collection on Flickr, and sign up below to volunteer!

Be sure to check out some of the amazing costumes that have been made in the past, including the Tauntan/Luke Snowuit one pictured above (made by Mara Saxer).I can't wait to see what Timmy will be wearing next!

How-To: Captain America Tie Dye Shirt

Lish Dorset — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

This is an impressive tie-dye project! Alexa, over at ILovetoCreate, came up with this tutorial to make a Captain America T-shirt that any fan would feel proud to wear at a showing of The Avengers.

Via ManMadeDIY

Mother/Daughter Brunch

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:03:00 +0000

We recently had a mother/daughter brunch at my church. All of these big events have kept me busy! I even picked up a tag job from another church at the brunch lol
It was a lot of fun making everything, and the brunch turned into a really nice event, which made all the hard work worthwhile :)

Baby Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:22:00 +0000

My friend and I hosted a baby shower last night for a woman from our church. It was a lot of fun. I tried some new ideas, and they turned out well. Lots of pictures!

The invitation

We put this by the driveway. It is a very long driveway that looks like a dirt road.
We wanted to make sure people found it!

Brownie Pops! YUM!
My wonderful Hubby made the pop holder for me.
The ribbon is removable so you can change it to match the occassion.

I made the circle streamers, a 1st for me. I LOVE them. The movement and shadows looks great!

I will definitely be making lots more of these

The gift table. I just love this whole set up.
My Lynx is what made this all possible. My cricut could have never done all of this.

The feet are tiny. Just about 1/2" long. My Lynx even cut the tiny toes!

My friend made the pretzel favors. Too cute! (and delicious!) I made the tags.

Love the dimension of the garlands

The card

Our gift didn't arrive in time (been 10 days since I ordered-argh!)
So I made a pop up card with a picture of the gift

Mother's Day Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:12:00 +0000

Finally a post for you! I have been creating, but just haven't had time to take pictures and post. I have the mother daughter brunch pictures to post, and also a baby shower this week that I will be sharing..

These are both flip flop cards, cut with my lynx. I went plain paper with one and patterned paper for the other. I used my foil master to do the greeting on the front of both, and my new viva decor pearl pens on the pink one. (so much easier than flat backed pearls!)

the pearl pens are quick and easy!

Mother/Daughter Brunch Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:05:00 +0000

I made these for our church's Joy Fellowship Brunch.

They are done "old school", with none f my fancy tools lol.

Just the computer, paper cutter and some doilies...

coffee mugs

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:52:00 +0000

I made these mugs for some friends 2 months ago. We just got together (finally!) so I could give them out. I posted the boxes back when I made the mugs, but needed to wait to post the contents lol.
I cut the outdoor vinyl monograms with my Lynx. It cuts small files beautifully, cleanly, and quickly :0)
I used outdoor vinyl, and the free font RemesloSTD.

Fantastic Formals (Smoothing the way for family picture time at your wedding)

hillary@hillaryharvey.com (Hillary Harvey) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:47:22 +0000

Fantastic Formals?? An oxymoron, you say? Not so!

It’s true, people tend to dread the family picture time during a wedding. It’s one of the things I hear most often. People say they don’t like to pose. People live in fear of having to keep their large families in line. But the formals don’t have to be the part of the day you get through. And they don’t have to be stiff! Let’s not even call it “formals”! Because there are certain things you and your photographer can do to make the family pictures stress-free… and even fun!

Timing is Everything

When organizing the timing for family pictures, tell the family members who will be needed that you’re starting half an hour before you really plan to be. (This is actually a great rule of thumb for every aspect when timing the wedding ceremony – the hair and makeup, the guests, even the officiant! Half an hour isn’t too long to ask people to wait, especially when they have drinks and people to talk with.) It’ll help your loved ones automatically factor in for traffic and other unforeseen delays or mishaps without compromising your wedding day schedule.

When scheduling your family pictures, find out when sunset will be at that time of year. You’ll lose your workable ambient light about half an hour before sunset, so either schedule it earlier in the day or just know that your family photos, bridal party and solo pictures will need to rely on flash for lighting.

Remember that receiving lines add time. If you have 150 guests, it may take half an hour or more to greet them all as they exit the ceremony site. Build that time into your schedule. If you’re doing a cocktail hour and pictures immediately after the ceremony, you might want to skip the receiving line (in favor of getting to your cocktail hour instead). In that case, you can visit the tables during the reception.

Make time for solo portraits with your new spouse after the ceremony. Beforehand, you may be nervous and have a lot on your mind. But afterwards, you can relax together, which will make better photos. The more time you leave, the more fun you can have with it. You neverk now, it might be the only 15 minutes “alone” together that you get all day!

Keep it Simple

The more people you have to coordinate during family pictures, the more time-consuming it can be. Save extended family photos for the party. Assign one person in each group to be the photographer’s go-to person. Given them a list of people needed for the shot, and ask them to gather everyone up during the party. Then they can grab the photographer, the photographer can grab you, and you’re in the shot and back to your party in no time!

If you don’t want to be posing in photos all night, keep your picture list to the bare necessities. Just list groupings and combinations of people that are absolutely key. Remember, it takes 2-3 minutes per photo set-up, so 15 combinations is about 30-45 minutes.

You want to leave your photographer a little wiggle room to improvise, so s/he can jump in and capture those wonderful emotional moments between you and your family that are bound to happen. That’s the stuff you really want!

Be Inspired

One thing I love to include in my wedding photography packages is a site viewing. Just like it sounds, the couple and photographer meet at the wedding venue for a tour prior to the big day. If the photographer hasn’t been there before, s/he can get to know the grounds and scout out good picture spots. And even if s/he has been there a hundred times, the site viewing allows the photographer and couple to chat about the logistics of location and timing away from the pressure of the wedding day, so everyone knows the game plan ahead of time. (Of course, the plan can sometimes go out the window on the actual day, depending on what’s going on.)

A site viewing allows the photographer and couple to learn more about each other’s aesthetic and vision, so the photographer is in a better position to make those shots that you will always cherish.

If you’re the kind of person who is haunting wedding planning sites and blogs (like this one!), then you might want a photographer who will consider you a collaborator. Share your ideas, send him/her pictures you’re drawn to and let him/her in on the personal details about your love story and family that can add to your pictures of the day. A collaborator-photographer will consider your ideas and aesthetic, allowing it to inspire him/her to make truly personal photos for you. But remember that your photographer is a professional and knows what will work or won’t, given the lighting, backdrop and timing of the day. It’s not always possible to recreate a photo, and sometimes the best pictures are the ones that weren’t planned or expected. As with everything having to do with your wedding day, make your preparations, and then let whatever happens happen. If you can let go of needing to be in control once the day has started and can trust your vendors to do their thing – the thing you hired them to do for you - everyone will be able to get into a good groove, and you’ll have a lot more fun!

When you’re well-prepared, organized and inspired, your family photos can be a fun part of your party – a moment to celebrate the emotions of the day with your very close family and friends. And in 20 years, when your family make-up is bound to have changed, you’ll be so glad you took the time to make those pictures!

Hillary Harvey is a freelance photographer specializing in wedding photojournalism. Though born in Brooklyn to a long line of Brooklynites, she is a tried-and-true valley girl, having lived most of her life in the Hudson Valley. She also lives online, so catch up with her there!

Bridesmaid 101: 10 Ways to Rock Your Bride’s Socks Off

breanna.gunn@gmail.com (Jill Tooley) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:29:48 +0000

As a bridesmaid, you don’t have as many responsibilities as the Maid of Honor. But that doesn’t mean you get to sit back and let everyone else do all the work, either! Bridesmaids should always show a genuine interest in the wedding and in the bride’s needs, and they should also be respectful of upcoming deadlines. It’s no cakewalk!

Here are 10 things you can do, as a bridesmaid, to lend a hand for the wedding:

Ask questions

It’s best to get questions cleared up right away. Is the chosen bridesmaid dress style/color a mystery to you? Find out. Are you curious which groomsman you’ll walk with? Ask. Heck, even if you’re unsure of where or when the wedding is, then ask. You need to know these things!

Don’t get overzealous

It’s fine to plan ahead and ask to help out with the bride’s wedding decisions, but don’t step on anyone’s toes while doing so. If you have a stellar suggestion, then bring it up to the bride (or the Maid of Honor) before carrying it out.

Keep your criticisms to a minimum

Do you hate the venue? Are you disappointed that you have to wear that shade of purple? Don’t freely offer your negative opinions or complain about decisions that have already been made. Remember, it’s HER wedding, not yours.

Bond with the MOH

The Maid of Honor is instrumental in any wedding planning – she takes care of business and stays up to date with goings-on. Get to know her sooner rather than later and you’ll feel more “in the loop.”

Do your research

It never hurts to study bridesmaid tasks, even if you think you’ve got a solid grasp. A better informed bridesmaid is a more effective (and conscientious) bridesmaid!

Know all the facts

You should know about the dress you’ll wear, the procession order, the color scheme, the times of important events, and anything else that affects your performance at the wedding. Refer to #1 and ask plenty of questions if you need help.

Don’t miss a deadline or appointment

Nothing’s worse than a bridesmaid who half-asses everything! If you want to be a part of the wedding, then act like it. That means buy your dress and shoes on time, show up to fittings and other appointments, and be ready to roll when you arrive.

Always be reachable

You’re making things more difficult for the bride when you don’t respond to her texts, phone calls, or emails. She should be able to reach you to ask questions or give you updates, and she won’t be able to do that if you constantly ignore her.

Be professional

You’re an extension of the couple when you’re in the wedding party – whether you like it or not. Don’t swear like a sailor, say rude things to the guests, or act in a sloppy manner when you’re in view/earshot of an audience. This goes for the reception, too.

Support, support, support!

The best thing you can do for the bride is to support her throughout the wedding planning process. Be a shoulder to cry on when she needs it, and don’t give her more work than she already has by being difficult.

If you honestly care about the bride and the wedding, then it shouldn’t be a tough task to follow through with any of these tips. Being a bridesmaid is more than putting on a dress and smiling for the camera! The lucky couple will love you even more if you do your absolute best in all aspects. And above all else, don’t lose sight of why you were chosen as a member of the bridal party. Your cooperation is needed and appreciated – always. So get to it!

Do you have any concerns about being a bridesmaid? Are there any more tidbits you’d like to offer for seamless wedding plans?

In addition to being a Maid of Honor veteran, Jill Tooley is Head of Content and Social Media at Quality Logo Products, where you can snag the coolest wedding favors and personalized items. Connect with Jill on her company’s promo blog for more handy tips!

1st Foil Master project

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:07:00 +0000

This is my first project using my Foil Master. I am going to love this addition to my crafting!!!
I only have silver foil at this point, so I need to order more colors.
This was also my first waterfall card. I needed a gift card holder for a Bridal Shower I am attending tomorrow.
I am pleased with how it turned out.

Of course I had to make a matching envelope lol!

Mirror

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:24:00 +0000

I still had valentine's day stuff on my entryway mirror, and it was driving me nuts! Just did a little something for Easter on one end this time. It is a My Vinyl Designer file, done with clear contact paper.

Nautical card

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:42:00 +0000

I used the new laser aligned print and cut with scal 3 and my black cat Lynx to make this card. I love that I can print an image and have my machine cut it out so precisely :0)

High Heel favor Box

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:36:00 +0000

A customer used my file to make these FABULOUS favors for her daughter's Hollywood themed sleepover, and gave me permission to share them with you. Carole Anne, these are truly amazing!!!!!! Thank you for sharing the photos. You did an outstanding job-be proud!!!!!

gift boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:53:00 +0000

I needed 3 matching boxes for some birthday gifts. I can't show you the contents yet, as I haven't given them to the recipients, and at least one of them visits my blog...LOL

"Swing" Card

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:13:00 +0000

This is the first time I have made this type of card, and I really like it.

The center part "swings" as you open the card to show your message.

Birthday cake

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:26:00 +0000

I made this for my niece. It's the first time I have stacked a cake. It had to travel 5 hours, and it held up just fine.

What a relief!!!

Aprons

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Combination of htv and rhinestones-

Rhinestone shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:53:00 +0000

another Christmas gift-

T-shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:52:00 +0000

Done with HTV

Hair Bows

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:50:00 +0000

More Christmas gifts for some special little girls...

Regal Name frame

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:48:00 +0000

I added all the kids' names around the frame on this one.

Name plaques

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:47:00 +0000

More Christmas stuff I haven't posted...
These are done with outdoor vinyl on plain white tiles.

another "cake in a box"

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:44:00 +0000

Yet another one...

drawstring bag

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:41:00 +0000

I did this for a friend.

Smile, God loves you shirts

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:29:00 +0000

These are prizes for the kids in Bible Kids Club at church. They all met the challenge of memorizing all the requirements for the unit they are working on.

Spelling Bee Card

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:27:00 +0000

My niece won her county spelling bee, so I made this card for her :0)

First Comes Love, Then Comes… Pregnancy Boudoir?

hillary@hillaryharvey.com (Hillary Harvey) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:37:13 +0000

Weddings are often like that schoolyard song - there’s a sequence to them. And with the average age of wedding couples creeping closer to 30, many times the newlyweds are hot to start a family right away. So perhaps a natural next thing to think about trying is a little prego boudoir. It makes a great anniversary gift!

Making the Most of your Pregnancy Shoot

Timing is key to a great pregnancy photo shoot. The best time to do a shoot is when you are big enough to be sporting a nice, recognizable bump, but not so close to your due date that you’re not feeling as physically comfortable or, worse, miss the shoot if the baby arrives early. Different body types, family histories and the way a woman carries the baby in her body (more internally, lower, higher, etc.) dictates how her body will look and react during pregnancy. Even the same woman with multiple pregnancies might find each one of them very different from the next. So this is a generalization that should be considered with a grain og salt: sometime between 7 and 8 months of pregnancy is often ideal for photos of the sexy mama.

If you’re doing your pregnancy shoot on location at your home, schedule it for a time of day when the natural light is brightest ot hitting the windows. That’ll give your photographer more to work with, and give you softer, less commercial-feeling pictures.

Talk to your photographer ahead of time about his/her vision for the shoot. You might even do some website research on other photographers’ blogs and websites or on sites devoted to pregnancy and parenting. You can share with your photographer the images that appeal to you and get ideas for poses you might want to try. Starting the collaboration with your photographer ahead of time will help you both to prepare, as well as start a rapport to build on at the shoot.

What to Wear and Prepare

When doing a photo shoot at your house, it’s helpful to straighten up first, especially in spaces that have good light. Have some cozy couches and your bed prepped for pictures, as well as anywhere near a window, by minimizing clutter around them, arranging pillows and blankets, and hiding unnecessary elements away. With just a few areas tidied, even, you can jump in and out of the various backgrounds with minimal setup. This ability to flow will mean more relaxed, fun photos.

Set out a bunch of scarves, blankets and clothes with drape and texture (but downplay the patterns) that you can play with. Wear form-fitting clothing in solid colors or black to show off your shape and help you look slim, and have your favorite lingerie or bathing suits at the ready for when you feel warmed up. Most of all, choose things to wear that make you feel comfortable and sexy.

Are the Kids All Right?

This might be your second or third pregnancy, or perhaps your partner has a child from a previous relationship. Or maybe you’re less inclined to do a secret boudoir pregnancy shoot and just want some nice portraits. Whatever the case, it’s good to consider ahead of time whether or not you want to include the whole family in the shoot. If so, the shoot might function more like the formals on your wedding day, with a variety of shots taken – people in different combinations, you alone, portraits, body shots, boudoir. You can do it all, and probably in just an hour or two!

When it’s the kids’ turn, remember that they will respond to your attitude. Depending upon the ages of the children, they might be more or less pose-able. If you can, keep your stress level and expectations low, and help them to see the shoot as a fun family event or game. Let kids wander in and out of picture time, and have something ready to keep them busy while you do some photos alone with the photographer. Don’t worry, a pro photographer will be able to grab some great shots with the kids even within a limited or intermittent timeframe.

Maybe you don’t feel as sexy and lovely as you usually do, but pregnancy is a really special time. When the baby comes, you’ll realize how amazing it all was and how fleeting. It’s so great to look back on your body’s shape with baby and a pro photog will know how to capture your best form. Who knows? You may even come away from the experience feeling gorgeous and powerful.

So go ahead and gift it to the one who will always share this new little love with you.

Photos in this post with the e logo are by Ellie Leonardsmith.

Super Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:29:00 +0000

I am still behind, I know!!!!! LOL
Someday i will catch back up again, I promise.
This was the extent of my Super Bowl decorations this year.

I used my new Lynx to cut all this. So far I am loving this machine!!!

Word to the Bride

benedets@gmail.com (Hillary Harvey) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:45:32 +0000

When I was planning my wedding (years and years ago), I wanted the process to be really fun. I wanted it and all the decisions my then-fiance and I were making to reflect our excitement about our future together. Unfortunately, I found myself too easily overwhelmed by all the details involved. I’d only been to two very non-traditional weddings at that point, so my own wedding was essentially the first wedding I’d ever attended!

One of the biggest surprises to me was the expectations involved with weddings: that my husband and I had but hadn’t known about, that our families and friends had for us, and that just seemed to generally be in the air when I mentioned that I was engaged. My husband and I had never hosted such a big event before that, and it was daunting to juggle all the elements.

But in the end, there were some lovely surprises, too. I am not one who enjoys the spotlight, and my family isn’t religious so the thought of my wedding ceremony, itself, sent me into a total state of panic and sleeplessness during our planning. But on the day, the ceremony ended up being my most favorite part. My husband and I chose really inspiring readings that I still think about from time to time, as well as meaningful music. We wrote our own vows, and I was so blissed out at saying and hearing them. I always tell people now that I could have stayed at my wedding ceremony all day, just gazing at my handsome new husband.

Thinking about all of my own ups and downs in my wedding planning, I recently asked several clients if they’d like to share what they’d learned from their weddings. Here’s what they had to say…

Keep it Simple

Bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to wedding parties. I would think twice about having 12 people in the party: too many personalities to deal with and keep track of. I would NOT let them keep their own cameras on them during the formal pictures. Let the photographer do their job, and then they can go and do their own thing. I also would have had my father stick around while dealing with the party so someone else besides me could try to get them to be where they needed to be for pictures and cooperate. – Laurie, married April 2009

Choose Vendors You Can Trust

We had made playlists for reception and dinner music that our DJ played, but they had asked us if they could use their own music for dancing/fun stuff. Everyone still talks about what a fun party that it turned into - everyone was dancing and having a great time. The music matters!! – Christina, married June 2010

Prioritize Your Budget

I knew it would be expensive, but I was floored at how it all adds up. We prioritized on what was most important for us and put our money towards it. In our case, it was having as many guests attend as possible. The inspirational sculpture, Opus 40, in Saugerties, NY, was an alluring venue. Its location and beauty brought all our guests together. It's cliche, but it is true. Having all these people you have known your whole life come out to witness and celebrate in your wedding is worth every penny. – Mitzie, married September 2010

Work out the big issues first, then go down to details (because there will be millions if you plan it yourself). Most important details: good music, good photographer, good food, good booze, good people - and everything will work out great! – Christina

Do It Together

The best surprise was how involved my husband was in the planning. It was a great test of communication and compromise to help prepare for marriage (which is going wonderfully!) – Christina

Through this head-banging process, we really blossomed as a couple and decided what it is, exactly, we want for our marriage; for ourselves. - Mitzie

In the end, the wedding planning process, even with all the stress, expense and overwhelm, seems a well-designed first step in creating a marriage. My husband and I had been together 5 years before we were married, but there were many things we’d never talked about before. And those conversations and compromises we made back then, almost 13 years ago now, set an important foundation for the marriage we began on our wedding day.

I hope you, too, enjoy the ride!

How to Read Minds and Make Dreams Come True as a Maid of Honor

breanna.gunn@gmail.com (Jill Tooley) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:27:04 +0000

Didn’t you know that Maids of Honor are supposed to be mind readers? They’re supposed to round up the rest of the bridesmaids, plan the bachelorette party and bridal shower, cater to the bride’s requests, and still find time to lay the smack down when things may not go as planned with vendors or venues. Without oodles of patience and a keen eye for detail, Maids of Honor could end up being completely lost.

The truth is, you can’t exactly read the bride’s mind no matter how determined you may be to do so. But I can get you pretty close. Here are a handful of tips I’ve learned from being a dedicated MOH!

Maid of Honor Tip #1: Do Your Research and Stay One Step Ahead

My first MOH experience gave me a crash course on the subject of wedding research – I had exactly 5 months to coordinate everything and I had no clue where to start! I scoured the internet for articles about Maid of Honor duties and temporarily flipped my lid after seeing how much had to be accomplished. However, after closer inspection, many of the articles included outdated information that my bride didn’t care to include. So, I compiled my own to-do list based on info from several different sites, specifically tailoring it to her specific needs. I ended up with a more precise list that wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as I’d expected.

Once you have that list, it’s important to prioritize those tasks and then get to work on them immediately. It’s never too early to start thinking about the bachelorette party (some venues fill up months in advance) and the bridal shower, but there will be plenty of smaller, manageable tasks to handle as well, like helping her with ideas for personalized items or suggesting bridesmaids’ shoe styles. And just think: you’ll have more time to focus on the big projects once you get the minor ones out of the way!

Even if you’ve previously been a MOH, you still have research to do. Brush up on your knowledge and you’ll be that much more efficient because of it.

Maid of Honor Tip #2: Always Communicate with the Bride and Respect Her Authority

Never assume that your wedding preferences match those of the bride! Verify everything with her first (unless it’s a secret bachelorette party or shower, in which case it would be a good idea to probe her for preferences without tipping her off) and make sure she doesn’t have anything else to add to your list.

Don’t let your personal opinions bleed into your decisions too much; remember, it’s her wedding and she’ll let you know specific things she likes or hates. It’s one thing to talk her out of a potentially disastrous decision, but don’t urge her to get a hairstyle she’s on the fence about or convince her not to get the type of cake she wants – your job is to support her, not to influence her. Trust me, these things have a way of backfiring! You do not want to get accused of ruining any details after the fact.

Maid of Honor Tip #3: Be Firm with Bridesmaids and Vendors if Needed, but Don’t Be Overly Demanding

We’ve all heard horror stories about uncooperative bridesmaids and vendors. Hopefully you’ll get lucky and end up with a group of perfectly-organized, on-the-ball individuals, but that’s incredibly rare. There are usually a couple of bad eggs in the bunch that’ll try to jeopardize your master plan. Don’t let them!

Did a bridesmaid neglect to order her dress a day before the cutoff date? Call her and stress the importance of it without accusing her of indifference. Did the bachelorette party venue get back to you with prices for an incorrect head count? Let them know they made a mistake, politely ask that they correct it, and ask them to re-send the confirmation with the new totals. Yelling and pointing the finger at people will only make them shy further away from responsibilities. Be firm while conveying the urgency of the issue but avoid unnecessary confrontation; no one will want to help you if you’re rude to them!

Extra tip: It’s always a smart idea to pad deadlines for those super slackers! If dresses have to be ordered no later than June 1^st, then tell the bridesmaids the last day is May 15^th. This gives you some leeway in sticky situations and provides some peace of mind.

Maid of Honor Tip #4: Be Attentive and Don’t Let the Bride See You Panic on the Big Day

Are you secretly freaking out because you noticed the venue failed to put out cake-cutting utensils (this happened at my own wedding and at a friend’s) or because the kitchen mixed up a few meals on the placecards? Don’t immediately go running to the bride with the news; it’ll only frazzle her and make her upset. Step up to the plate and take care of unexpected situations as best you can –while keeping her best interests in mind – and only involve the bride if absolutely necessary. Panic doesn’t exactly set the mood for having a good time, and her enjoyment is the most important of all.

Oh, and pay attention to every detail you can take in, from the setup of the reception hall to the servers’ attire and behavior. It’s your job to take care of business if there’s something lacking, because the bride will surely be distracted and overwhelmed with other things!

Maid of Honor Tip #5: Over-Prepare for the Unexpected

Emotions will be running wild once the big day finally rolls around, which means items will be forgotten. As a MOH, you’ll want to think like a responsible mom with quintuplets; that means you have to prepare yourself for every possible crisis you can imagine. Pack an overnight bag with commonly-overlooked necessities like nail polish remover, Q-tips, cotton balls, petroleum jelly, deodorant, razors, toothpaste, dental floss, nail files/clippers, lotion, tampons/pads, and shampoo/conditioner. You can even throw in extras like energy shots or bottled water. This won’t go unnoticed!

Don’t forget to eat during the whirlwind of preparation and encourage the bridal party to do the same. Snag some bagels and cream cheese, fresh fruit, and non-messy snacks for people to munch on while they’re getting ready. It’s not a good idea to skip breakfast on the wedding day…dinnertime will be a long way off!

A Maid of Honor wears dozens of hats, such as bridesmaid shepherd, party planner, and go-to problem fixer. The job may seem overwhelming at first, but it’s much more manageable when everything is split up into bite-sized tasks. The bride is counting on you, so remember to keep your cool and stay organized even when things seem chaotic!

In addition to being a Maid of Honor veteran, Jill Tooley is Head of Content and Social Media at Quality Logo Products, a leading supplier of personalized items and wedding favors. You can connect with her on Twitter and on her company’s promo blog.

Fast & Easy Super Bowl Party Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Hill) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:57:00 +0000

We have a party every year. This year I'm not too excited about the Bowl, as I don't care for either team, so I decided on quick and easy invitations. I ended up really liking them. Maybe a lesson to be learned here????

Directions-
I cut the top layer of the football in brown (svg file) using my cricut and scal 2
Ran them through my cuttlebug with a fiskars "leather" texture plate
cut 2 white solid football shapes for each invitation.
Adhered the brown football to 1 white football
Did my text in print shop, sizing it to fit within my football shape.
Printed 2 on a sheet of cardstock.
Held that piece up to the light, and centered the white football shapes over the text and taped across the top edge with painters tape.
Ran it back through my printer to get the text onto the shapes.
Used a white brad to fasten the 2 pieces together.

Real Wedding: Fall Flare at The Grandview

breanna.gunn@gmail.com (Michele Diggelmann) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:03:33 +0000

Michele & Ryan

Location: The Grandview, Poughkeepsie, NY

We got married in a small, adorable Roman Catholic church in the town of Pawling (St. Johns). I picked this church because it's my church and I just absolutely LOVE it there!

Afterwards, we headed over to the Grandview in Poughkeepsie for our reception and we were speechless! The service we received was out of this world! They made my visions come true with the set up and they were right there if we needed anything. Our reception (even though I know it was our wedding!) was honestly one of the BEST Iíve ever been too! People are still raving about the view of the Hudson River and the Mid-Hudson Bridge and the FOOD! We had five stations of different foods that we picked. Each station had several different things on them. People RAVED about this because they got a little bit of everything. My thinking was that Iíve been to so many weddings were I didnít care for my dinner and youíre stuck until the cake comes out. Here you had so many choices.

Photographer: Surprise Photography

She was absolutely AMAZING (as always). We did our engagement pictures with her and Ryanís family had a family shoot with her. She does beautiful work! She is also such a sweetheart! Anthony is my 3 year-old son and I thought I was never going to get him to sit still for a picture. But Melissa to the rescue! She was outstanding and we had a blast working with her!

Entertainment: Next Generation, Mahopac, NY

It was great! People danced the whole wedding. There was never a slow down. The guys that were working for us were so much fun and so lively! They also had a great set up and a slide show of our personal pictures. Seeing pictures of us as kids and grandparents who couldnít be with us that day added a great touch to the night. [first dance, kids dancing, dancing, dancing guys, dancing guys2]

Dress: Maggie Sottero

I got it right before she discontinued making it. It was purchased at a little shop called Brides Fanatasy, which sadly is recently closed. The women there were dolls! They made my experience of finding and buying ìthe dressî everything it should be!

Shoes: Ivanka Trump

My adorable hubby purchased them for me on Zappos. They were these one-of-a-kind Ivanka Trump pumps. I say one of a kind because if you saw the pictures of them, they were the new millennium Cinderella slipper!

Jewelry

My jewelry was also purchased at Brides Fantasy. I highly recommend that if you donít buy your jewelry at the same shop, bring it with you and try it all on with your dress. It helps to bring the whole picture together.

Hairpiece

My hair piece was also purchased a Brides Fantasy. I was going sort of vintage with my look so I had (what looked like old) combs with plenty on gems. They made me feel like they were off the Titanic. My veil was purchased by surfing the internet. In stores veils can cost you almost $200. Mine cost $35, but you would've never known!

Tux: Menís Wearhouse

The boys got their tuxes from Menís Wearhouse on Rt.9 Poughkeepsie. My husband did a great job picking the styles and colors to match my girls!

Bridesmaid dresses: After Six

I got my girls to order their dresses from PerfectBridal.com. They were After Six dresses for $160. They got them in plenty of time to go wherever they wanted to get them altered. It worked out perfectly!

Cake

Our cake was supplied by The Grandview, and it was delicious! I had picked an octagon shape and supplied them with fake fall leaves that they assembled on the cake, which was chocolate, with chocolate mousse and butter cream frosting. People kept asking me if it was the real wedding cake because it looked so amazing and it was!

Flowers: DIY

For my Flowers I got silk flowers from Michaels on Rt.9. They were absolutely beautiful and we got to keep them forever!

Hair and makeup: Shara Studler

My hair and makeup was done by a good friend of ours, Shara Studler. Her husband Justin was a groomsman. She stayed overnight and we got to work at like 6 am. Why so early? Because we got married at 10am! She did an amazing job. I would have been lost without her!

Inspiration

My color and theme inspiration basically came from the season. Fall and vintage were my key words. I ìmadeî my own centerpieces. I bought cast iron pumpkins from Michaels a year in advance, and put an orange candle in them. Since I couldnít have a candle directly on top of the linen, I found brown plates and placed the pumpkins on top of them. On either side of the pumpkins I purchased mason jars and filled the bottoms with a small orange votive and orange and clear glass pebbles. Then there were a few fall leaves (fake, of course) scattered along the tables. The girlsí dresses were a beautiful orange color. It was called Clementine but it was very muted with a wide lace ivory sash. I also purchased the flower girl dresses online and they matched perfectly!

Michele's advice for future brides

I would have to say although I put a lot of time, thought and effort towards basically everything and Iím well aware that a lot of people donít have that kind of time, it was really important to me that I helped create the day. Walking into the reception area and seeing my centerpieces come to life was really special to me. I would love to do it again, but who has that kind of money?!

What would you do differently?

Since I had our son with me the morning of the wedding and both flower girls, plus my four bridesmaids, two matrons of honor, my mother, my father and my hair dresser (the lovely Shara), it was a little crazy! I definitely either would have had the kids go to a family memberís house or had a babysitter with them all morning. I love my niece, but having her crying on my dress while I was getting it laced up isnít exactly how I envisioned it! J Thatís ok. Kids are kids and they are darn cute! All in all it was a beautiful day and I couldnít have been or be happier to be Mrs. Diggelmann!

Real Wedding: Gorgeous Pops of Color at The Venetian Yacht Club

jengarry@besthudsonvalleyweddingever.com (Jennifer Garry) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:30:19 +0000

Katie & Steve, October 9, 2011

As cliché as it may sound, I truly have been planning my wedding ever since my first walk down the aisle as the flower girl at my parents' wedding. My dad still jokes to this day that my new husband Steve was the final missing piece to all of my wedding planning! After becoming engaged I realized it was even more fun planning a wedding with the love of your life to help (and of course a bridesmaid here and there!).

Two of my friends have had amazing weddings with unbelievable pictures, so of course my very first phone call was to Ulysses Photography. I wanted to have them shoot our wedding so bad that I called them before I even had a wedding date picked! Having already known Jenni and Ulysses from previous weddings, it was more like having our pictures taken by our friends.

Before I could book them we had to pick a venue, which ended up being The Venetian Yacht Club, which sits on the Great South Bay of Long Island. Knowing that we were going to have pictures outside with gorgeous views of the bay, we decided on an early fall wedding.

The date is also special to me because, being a John Lennon fan, I knew I’d be getting married on his birthday! Another really special touch was that we had our ceremony at St. Patrick’s Church, which is the same aisle I walked down for my parents' wedding as their flower girl.

I really wanted my wedding to not be the usual cookie-cutter wedding and instead opted for some unique touches. I never really saw myself in a big ball gown dress, and after trying on my Reem Acra Grecian-style gown it was love at first sight! I also wanted to add a little drama by wearing my navy Badgley Mischka shoes as my “something blue.”

Another place I knew I had to go to for some unique ideas was Bayview Florist. When Steve and I walked into our reception hall, we were just blown away by the centerpieces with white lilies and roses spilling out of their water and crystal filled vases.

Steve and I have been together for four years and I don’t think we have stopped laughing or having fun together since, and that was exactly what we wanted our wedding to feel like. I really feel that we made that happen with our photo booth from Ovations. They made us an album of all of the crazy pictures taken by our friends and family, and to this day it cracks us up every time we look at it.

I know my dad jokes about Steve being my last piece of the planning, but it ended up being the surprise of his entire family coming over from England, Spain and Australia. Having all our family and friends in one room celebrating with us really made our special day the most unforgettable one that we have ever had.

Vendors

Photography: Ulysses Photography

Flowers: Bayview Florist

Ceremony Location: St. Patrick's Church

Reception Location: Venetian Yacht Club

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Bride's Dress: Reem Acra

Bridesmaids Dresses: Ivy & Ashh

Cake: Sweet Fifi

Makeup: LJ Makeup Artistry

Hair: Gina of The Hair & Makeup Studio

Real Wedding: Rustic Elegance at Onteora Mountain House

jengarry@besthudsonvalleyweddingever.com (Jennifer Garry) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:06:50 +0000

Jessica Cummings and Ashlin Halfnight, September 3, 2011

Our wedding in Woodstock was a dream come true, from start to finish. We were looking for a rustic setting, woods and sky and fresh air, but with convenience and class... somewhere people could feel relaxed but pampered. Onteora Mountain House was all that and more... and everyone who came was stunned.

Our ceremony went off without a hitch, except for the fact that our best man forgot the wedding rings... which added the perfect dash of drama to an otherwise smooth and enchanting start to the wedding day. After leaving the church with Jessica waving out of the sunroof of the getaway car, we headed back to Onteora to start the party. On the heels of Hurricane Irene, we chose the Dark and Stormy as our specialty cocktail, but as the night wore on plenty of sweat, laughs and tears were in evidence, but thankfully, no raindrops at all.

Ulysses and Jenni from Ulysses Photography were awesome, capturing the ceremony, reception, and intimate details throughout with a compassion, vision, and humor that was beyond compare. Our florists, Steven Bruce Design were so cool and chill in the lead-up, even with the added complications of power outages and road closures, and the end results were perfect and beautiful and exactly what we'd imagined. We could not have asked for a better day to celebrate our love.

Vendors:

Photography: Ulysses Photography
Flowers: Steven Bruce Design
Caterer: Blue Mountain Bistro
Location: Onteora Mountain House
Stationery: Minted
Dress: Jim Hjelm
Bridesmaids dresses: After Six
Music: Boss Systems
Hair: Courtney Benedetti
Makeup: Jennifer McCarthy

Shoesday: Funky Wedding Shoes

jengarry@besthudsonvalleyweddingever.com (Brea Gunn) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:02:29 +0000

Happy Shoesday, everyone! Did you have a fabulous weekend? I saw quite a few friends, and one of my dear, dear friends was wearing shoes that were just about as fun and funky as mine.

See, shoes with some spunk and creativity always make me smile.

They’re a great way to show off your personality in small doses. I like small doses of fun and funky, especially for an important and elegant ocassion such as your wedding.

It’s important to make a style statement on your big day, and these shoes definitely do not lack in personality.

From top left: Poetic Licence Charm School Pump, Poetic Licence Love Letter Pump,
Poetic LicenceSpectacle Pump, Poetic Licence Date Night Pump

How to Wear Funky Wedding Shoes

The best advice I can give about exactly how to pull off the perfect pair of funky pumps is to do it with gusto. Yes, I just used the word gusto.

Enjoy the moment, and be proud of your unique style and fun shoes. I think that shoes should be all about fun (it does help if they’re functional, but that can be ignored if they’re spectcular).

From top left: Poetic Licence Exclusive Delight Sandal, Poetic Licence Girl’s Best Friend Pump,
Poetic Licence All Tied Up Pump, Poetic Licence Feel The Rhythm Pump

I love bright colors, especially for shoes. Can you tell? There’s just something so bright and happy when you’re wearing fantastically over-the-top shoes. The best part? (at least for me) You can rewear any of these styles, which makes them multi-functional (a huge win in my book!).

From top left: Poetic Licence Dance All Night Pump, Poetic Licence Birdcage Pump,
Poetic Licence Tempt Me Bootie, Poetic LicenceGlamming Up Pump

Don’t you just love the bright colors and little details?

Brea Gunn is a blogger and writer living in Houston, TX with her husband and son. When she's not hyperventilating as a result of chasing her son, Smalls, you will find her immersed in any one of her writing projects. Her current obsessions include shoes of any kind, healthy eating, fashion, and sewing. According to her husband, she is very opinionated. Brea doesn't always agree with him.

Jun 8, Letterpress Printing At Home

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:24:11 +0000

Here are even more detailed photos of letterpress printing at home which is perfect for wedding invitations, menus, thank you cards, favor tags and so on.

These were all made using the Epic Combo Kit that was sent to me to test out.

Jun 8, Letterpress Wedding Favor Tags

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:10:23 +0000

Did you know there is an "at home" letterpress machine? There is and I was sent one to try out. I made these simple letterpress favor tags as a quick test project.

More letterpress goodness soon!

Jun 7, Wedding Themed Drinks

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:17:23 +0000

Aren't wedding themed drinks fun? Will you have a signature drink at your wedding?

This one is called "Something Blue" although it isn't actually blue which in my opinion is a good thing. Why? Imagine all of your guests (including yourself!) with blue lips in your photos. No, this one uses blueberries as the "something blue" which is clever.

Something Blue Recipe
1 oz Hennessy Black
5 fresh blueberries
2 lemon wedges
1 oz POM Pomegranate Blueberry Juice
3 oz Moet Imperial Champagne
Sugar for rim

Muddle blueberries and lemons in a shaker. Add Hennessy Black, POM Pomegranate Blueberry Juice and ice. Shake and strain into a Sugar rimmed Champagne flute. Top with Moet Champagne.

Garnish with 3 fresh blueberries on a bamboo skewer or toothpick and a lemon twist.

May 6, Easy Paper Flower Wedding Centerpiece

Fri, 06 May 2011 03:25:09 +0000

Here are step by step photos instructions for a paper flower centerpiece that is super easy to make and inexpensive too.

May 4, Wedding Rose Garland "Rose Beads"

Wed, 04 May 2011 03:59:14 +0000

Here are instructions for making pretty live rose beads for your wedding rose garland!

May 3, DIY Vases for Centerpieces on the Cheap

Tue, 03 May 2011 19:55:59 +0000

You won't save much money on diy flowers if you have to go out and buy a bunch of vases! These DIY Centerpiece Vase Ideas are so easy and use mostly free materials too!

May 3, DIY Cheap Calla Lily Centerpiece Ideas

Tue, 03 May 2011 18:25:13 +0000

Calla lilies don't have a reputation for being "cheap" like say, carnations do. However, these DIY Cheap Calla Lily Centerpiece Ideas might change your mind. They are so stunning and large that you only need a couple!

May 3, Make a Calla Lily Wedding Bouquet

Tue, 03 May 2011 02:49:54 +0000

Here are step by step photos instructions for how to make a calla lily bouquet plus how to store it afterwards so it will last for several days! Calla lilies are one of the best flowers to work with, they last and last.

May 2, DIY Wedding Bouquets

Mon, 02 May 2011 20:51:49 +0000

New! A DIY Wedding Bouquets section where you can learn tricks for making flowers last the longest as well as specific bouquet building tips.

Apr 27, Make Your Own Wedding Envelope Seals

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:22:34 +0000

Make your own wedding envelope seals for your wedding invitations using decorative papers, printed images or cut outs from a magazine! These below were made with a circle paper punch and a gardening seed catalog.

Apr 26, Cheap Wedding Food Ideas & Cooking For Large Parties

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:10:44 +0000

Food! It is expensive isn't it? Yikes, especially if your guest list is large. Here are cheap wedding food ideas that don't sacrifice taste.

Plus, here are large party cooking tips if you are wanting to tackle the food (or some of it) yourself.

Apr 19, Cheap Champagne for Wedding Toasts?

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:44:46 +0000

Okay so you need champagne for the wedding toasts yet you also need to stay within a realistic budget. These cheap champagnes for wedding toasts are your answer! Fortunately, there are yummy bubbly options that don't cost a fortune, you just need to know what to look for.

Mar 29, DIY Wedding Cake - Trade Secrets & What NOT to do

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:51:21 +0000

Here are your most burning diy wedding cake questions answered! We asked a cake making pro who has been working with cakes since the early 80s. Tips on transport, freezing and even actual recipes!

Nov 23, How to Make Candle Wedding Favors

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:28:25 +0000

How to Make Candle Wedding Favors to create personalized favors on the cheap! Super budget friendly and the favors will be well received by guests.

Oct 22, How to Make a Wedding Wreath

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 01:55:47 +0000

How to Make a Wedding Wreath for almost nothing! Super budget friendly and versatile wedding and reception decoration. Did I mention it is really easy too?

Aug 9, Reader Contribution: Ring Bearer's Pillow

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:41:19 +0000

Look at this lovely, earthy ring bearer's pillow shared with us by a reader.

PS - you can now upload multiple photos to share! Share your own wedding projects right here!

Jul 23, Colorful Twine & Free Printables for DIY Wedding Favors

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:10:18 +0000

Check out this colorful twine from The Twinery!

Lovely for favor packaging. Speaking of favor packaging go to The Twinery Blog for free printable matching labels which would be just perfect with their twine.

The good news? They are offering readers of this blog a 25 discount off your entire order by using code WEDDINGS25. (Good until July 31st) The Twinery

Mar 31, DIY Lollipop Flag Favors & Seating Place Cards

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:01:13 +0000

Lollipop Flag Favors & Seating Place Cards are cheap and adorable. Uses just a P-touch machine, a bag of lollipops and some decorative paper!

Mar 26, Your top DIY Wedding Food Questions Answered

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:46:08 +0000

I get tons of food questions in my email box so I turned to the pros for a little help.

Here are the Wedding Reception Food FAQs that caterers, John & Zuzana from Party Recipes and Ideas tackled for us!

This is a must read, they are a wealth of information and even share some caterer's secrets!

Mar 2, Another Paper Towel Roll Wedding Favor! Seed Packets

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:40:38 +0000

Yet another use for your paper towel rolls. How about seed packet favors? So easy and customizable.

Mar 2, Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors...from a paper towel roll!

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:38:45 +0000

These paper towel roll mini-notebooks are just the thing if eco-friendly is your goal. Cheap, adorable and easy to make!

Feb 18, Reader Contribution: Candy & Spoon Favors

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:42:38 +0000

Look at these clever diy spoon favors shared with us by a reader. Just think how much fun it would be to head to a thrift store and find a variety of lovely vintage spoons for this project!

Dec 27, DIY Portable Chuppah or Wedding Canopy

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:23:24 +0000

Here is a brand new diy chuppah tutorial shared with us by a reader...and she even shares her price breakdown! She did an amazing job.

Dec 24, DIY Pearl Earrings & Necklace Tutorial

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:04:26 +0000

This amazingly detailed pearl earrings & necklace tutorial is a great beginner's guide to jewelry making. You can save a bundle by making your own wedding jewelry!

This tutorial was shared with us by jewelry artist Wanda, who runs Making-Beaded-Jewelry.com where you can find even more jewelry making tutorials.

Dec 18, DIY Wedding Invitation Seals

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:16:09 +0000

Check out this wedding invitation seals tutorial! Use fall leaves, pressed green leaves or pressed flowers.

Dec 10, DIY Message in a Bottle Invites

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:34:55 +0000

Check out these DIY message in a bottle destination wedding invites! Perfect for island and beach weddings.

Nov 7, Reader Contribution: Gerber Daisy Seating Display

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:03:40 +0000

This Gerber Daisy Seating Display DIY project was submitted by Barbara!

Nov 4, Reader Contribution: Beaded Napkin Rings

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:06:10 +0000

This Beaded Napkin Rings DIY project was submitted by Carmen!

Nov 4, Reader Contribution: Simple Cheap Orchid Centerpieces

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:39:20 +0000

This Simple Cheap Orchid Centerpieces DIY project was submitted by Gina!

Nov 4, Reader Contribution: Cupcakes

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:39:20 +0000

This Cupcakes In Lieu of Cake DIY project was submitted by Kim!

Nov 4, Simple Cheap Orchids

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:59:28 +0000

I love the way my centerpieces turned out for my August 2009 wedding. They were cheap but stll looked lovely. I used an idea from this site

Nov 4, Confetti (Almond) Favors and almond poem

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:29:36 +0000

We didn't want to just put wedding almonds in a favor box and so I was looking for something unique. One Sunday, I happen to be looking through my

Nov 4, Homemade Preserves

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:29:03 +0000

-Pick you favorite fresh, seasonal berry. -Buy some small 4oz mason jars -Fill Jars with homemade preserves -Decorate and add creative labels (I used

Apr 2, And the DIY Wedding Tutorial Contest WINNERS Are...

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:09:12 +0000

The winners are...

DIY Bridesmaid Jewelry

Cheap but Glamorous Centerpiece

Activity Books for Kids

Cake Ball Fiasco

Wedding Cookie Table Congrats to all the winners!

Mar 31, DIY Bridesmaid Jewelry

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:52:49 +0000

This DIY Bridesmaid Jewelry tutorial was submitted by Marla!

Mar 31, DIY Cookie Ingredients Favors

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:26:22 +0000

This Cookie Recipe Favors tutorial was submitted by Andrea!

Mar 25, DIY Maid of Honor Card

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:48:28 +0000

This Maid of Honor Card tutorial was submitted by Tenchia!

Mar 25, DIY Pocketfold Invitations

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:30:40 +0000

This DIY Pocketfold Invitation tutorial was submitted by Andrea!

Mar 25, DIY Favor Boxes

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:32:31 +0000

This DIY Favor Box tutorial was submitted by Andrea!

Mar 25, DIY Pocket Wedding Invitations

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:15:39 +0000

This Pocket Wedding Invitations tutorial was submitted by Tara!

Mar 25, DIY Thank You Shirts

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:20:29 +0000

This Thank You Shirt tutorial was submitted by Nicole!

Mar 25, DIY Fabric Flower Wrist Corsage

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:50:25 +0000

This Fabric Flower Wrist Corsage tutorial was submitted by Nicole!

Mar 25, DIY Personalized Matchboxes

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:16:12 +0000

This Personalized Matchboxes tutorial was submitted by Anna!

Mar 25, DIY Activity Books for Children

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:29:24 +0000

This Activity Books for Children tutorial was submitted by Anna!

Mar 24, DIY Cake Balls & Mini Chocolate Sculptures!

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:14:04 +0000

These Cake Ball Fiasco and Chocolate Mini Sculpture tutorials were submitted by Ty!

Jan 28, DIY Wedding Cookie Table

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:48:13 +0000

This Wedding Cookie Table tutorial was submitted by Charise!

Jan 28, Sand Ceremony Container Shadowbox Frame

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:45:01 +0000

This Sand Ceremony Container Shadowbox Frame tutorial was submitted by Charise!

Jan 24, DIY Wedding Card Box

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:23:17 +0000

This tiered Wedding Card Box tutorial was submitted by Brandi!

Jan 24, Cheap and Glamorous Centerpiece Tutorial

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:59:01 +0000

This Cheap & Glamorous Centerpiece tutorial was submitted by Brandi!

Jan 24, DIY Wedding Aisle Runner

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:30:53 +0000

This DIY Wedding Aisle Runner tutorial was submitted by Brandi!