Wicked Bride Stationery

Buyer Beware: OneWay Furniture

2012-02-01T15:18:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I never do this. Not because I don't love to complain (I do), but I usually don't call out people or companies on my blog. It's not that kind of blog, and I'm (usually) not that kind of person. Believe it or not, I'm actually pretty laid back when it comes to certain things and like to give people the benefit of the doubt - I'm not one to write letters or submit angry emails to a complaint box.

But something happened to me recently and I feel the need to share it with the world at large so that it doesn't happen to any of my friends, family, readers and loved ones. Please, people, don't be as stupid as me, ok?

Let me take you back to December for a sec. Mike and I were nearing a point where we were ready to order the mirrors for our master bedroom. We'll be getting the TV off the dresser soon and onto the wall, and the mirrors are the showpiece of the room. (Here they are, left, in the ~~room design I ripped off from Sarah Richardson~~ inspiration room). Stunning, right? These beauties aren't cheap - so when they came down in price I ~~harassed~~ asked Mike if I could get them. This is one of the last pieces we need to finish off the bedroom, and since it took me months to track down who made the mirror and where I could find them, I was anxious to have these darlings in hand. (For reference, the mirrors are made by Ren-Wil, you need to buy from one of their authorized retailers, and the model number is MT926 if anyone out there is looking to purchase).

I had found the mirrors at CSN stores (now Wayfair), but when I checked my wish list in December, the mirrors had been taken off. Either they aren't stocking them anymore, or they've been discontinued. My mind immediately went to discontinued (remember this incident recently?) and I panicked. I was able to find the mirrors at a couple more places, but they were back ordered. This increased my panic, and I was worried the model was being discontinued.

I turned to Google shopping. I end up finding a lot of stuff through there as Google image searches tend to be rather fruitful for me. Now, typically when I buy from a place I've never purchased from before, I do my due diligence. I check out their ratings and rankings, etc. Unfortunately, I didn't this time.

When I saw that the first site listed had a good star rating, and 12k+ reviews (the first couple of pages of which only have a couple negative reviews - and every store gets negative reviews, I find them all the time on Overstock and I still shop there) I thought going with OneWay Furniture would be a safe bet.

I was very, very, very wrong. And that's what leads me to my post today.

I ordered 2 of the mirrors in December (you need to put 2 together to get the effect in the sample photo). Yes, I spent over $500 on mirrors - please don't slap me. If you're going to slap me, do it over what I spend at Kate Spade in a weekend - I deserve it. But I looked at these mirrors as an investment piece: they are from a high-end designer, we got a deal on everything else in the room (or it was free, or we made it), so it was just one of those high/low situations where I couldn't find a "low" substitute so "high" it was.

A week after I ordered them, I finally got a shipping notification.... the mirrors wouldn't be coming until 2/24. Ok... not exactly my ideal, we spent a lot of money on them and I'm excited about them - I kind of wanted them quicker, but I get that they are coming direct from the manufacturer and I'll just have to be patient (not my strong suit, we all know). Then, last weekend while my Mum and I were at Ikea picking up Mike's office furniture (more on that later), I got an email that the mirrors would not be shipping 2/24. They'd be shipping 3/6.

I was, um... a little irate. Seriously? Four months to get these things? Since the only emails I got from the company were shipment delays with no explanations, I decided to give them a call to see what was up. Again, something I don't normally do - but all these delays were making me further suspect that the mirrors had indeed been discontinued, and if I waited any longer, I might not be able to get them at all, from any vendor. So when we got home from Ikea, I got on the phone. For two hours. Yes, that's right, TWO HOURS. I couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone there. I called, and called, and called some more. And then, despite saying they were open until 6:00 pm EST, at 5:30 I got a recorded message that I'd called outside of business hours. That kind of sent a rocket up my ass. I emailed the company through their site to inquire about the delay, and left a message on their voicemail (to date, neither one of these emails or messages were ever returned or acknowledged).

At this point, I started doing some deeper Googling on OneWay and once I got past the benign Google shopping page, found all sorts of negative reviews. Yeesh. Had I seen these before, I never would've purchased from this company in the first place. The star rating at the top is totally deceptive - when you read the reviews underneath, it's the same story as mine.

On Monday, I again tried to call the company to see what the delay was. I was also considering just canceling the order after I read all those bad reviews. After an hour, I still couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone, no matter what option I tried for the different departments. I had basically had it, so I filled out their online form to cancel my order. I got no acknowledgement from that. I decided to call another company, Arcadian Lighting (who were second on that Google shopping list from above).

I can't even begin to tell you how nice, understanding, and helpful the folks at Arcadian Lighting are. I'm going to be shopping there for the foreseeable future based on their customer service alone - fantastic service they gave, I might add, before I was even a paying customer. The first man I spoke with at Arcadian was amazing - he even called Ren-Wil (the manufacturer) to see what the hold up with production on the mirrors was. When he came back, he told me they could get it for me in 2 weeks most likely, but he told me it could always take longer because the manufacturer could push it back (which was fine with me, because at this point I'm talking to a real, live human being who is being helpful and giving me answers). Plus, 2 weeks was a heckuva lot quicker than 2 months, so I decided to try calling OneWay again to cancel my original order, and then re-order through Arcadian.

Low and behold, the clouds parted, angels sang - someone picked up the phone at OneWay (yes, it took me another 30 minutes this time around). I talked to a jovial woman who got a kick out of me apologizing for the rather sternly worded emails I had sent through their website. She told me she canceled the order and a confirmation would be sent to the email address I provided in the order.

I instantly called back Arcadian and ordered the mirrors from them, this time speaking with a girl who was so pleasant and upbeat, it made my day better. They also extended me a nice discount for all the trouble I had been through. Arcadian was my shining knight on horseback that day.

Tuesday passes, and I'm wondering why I haven't gotten that cancellation from OneWay yet. No biggie, I think, I'll call if I haven't gotten it by Wednesday. If I can get someone to pick up the phone, that is. Wednesday rolls around with an email from them sitting in my inbox. "It must be my cancellation," I think.

Wrong.

It was a shipping notification. Not only had the order NOT been canceled, it had been shipped.

What...THE...$%#&!!

So I call OneWay. AGAIN. Wait on hold for an hour, AGAIN. This time, I'm crafty - I figure if they are going to pick up any line, it's the one to place an order, so I select that option in the menu. Yes, someone does pick up the phone - she's nice, and I feel bad that I'm about to be cranky, but I'm past this nonsense. I explain the situation, and when she takes my order number, she says - get ready for this:

"I don't have any record that this order was canceled."

I must've looked like someone slapped me clear across my face. No, I definitely called, I definitely canceled. She kept insisting there was nothing in the notes, no cancellation put through - according to them I never even called. She wanted to know who I spoke to, and when I couldn't produce a name (please, I can't even remember my own sometimes), I described the woman. Since there is only a few people working there (apparently) she said she knew who I was talking about. She put me on hold for a second, and when she came back, said:

"I spoke to her and she said she never talked to you."

OMFGRUKM? I was like - listen, I'm not lying, I'm not making this up. I'm not some kind of sociopath that likes to torment discount furniture companies. I can produce at least five coworkers who walked by my desk during lunch on Monday who can assure you that I did indeed call. She told me that she was sure I did, but they had no record and there was nothing to do now except accept the shipment. She offered to talk to her manager to try and get me a discount for the trouble - but I was dubious I'd ever hear back.

At the same time, I had to email Arcadian to tell them to cancel my order because while I love these mirrors, I do not, in fact, need four of them. They of course were wonderful and understanding - we have several things coming up to purchase and I'm definitely going to their site first, no question.

Then, later this afternoon, surprise, surprise - I got a call back from the nice girl at OneWay (despite how I feel about the company this girl in particular was very helpful and did seem to care - so kudos to her). She couldn't offer me much except a small dollar amount off my purchase. Like enough to buy coffee. Yeah, sure, fine, whatever - I took it. I had no fight in me left at that point.

So, the moral of this story? Google like a mo' fo. And always, ALWAYS look at more than one review site. I'll be honest - it takes a lot to fool me usually, and boy was I an idiot with this one. In my defense, the listing on Google didn't spell trouble - but I really should have kept going, kept digging.

In any case, the mirrors are now on their way. I just hope they are in pristine condition because I was also told (while being accused of not canceling the order) that the manufacturer doesn't accept returns. Let's hope Ren-Wil knows how to properly pack their mirrors (and since they make and ship them worldwide, I'm banking on the fact that they do).

PS - Life As We Know It (movie) has been playing round the clock on HBO lately, and if you look closely at the entryway in the stunning home/set they used for the movie, 2 of these mirrors flank each side of the front door :) Yes, only I notice this kind of sh*t.

New Chair & Television

2012-01-18T09:00:00.005-05:00

You know what the downside of being a stalker is? When something sells out on your wishlist, you panic.

Most of my purchases have been panic-related lately.

I'd been stalking the Albury chair at Overstock since April. I had no idea why I hadn't bought it yet, it wasn't outrageously expensive or anything. I think I just kept thinking, "oh, I'll get a coupon eventually," or something. It just wasn't a priority for whatever reason.

Until I went to check on it at Overstock and it was sold out. Now, typically I wouldn't be too worried, but the chair had also been out of stock at Target (the only two places I could find it, besides overpriced on eBay) for over 8 months. The only thing I could think was it had been discontinued and there would never be more. Nooooo! Not the perfect, sexy, sleek, modern white faux leather chair of my dreams!?! I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!!

I was a starving hunter in the woods of Google. I had to find the chair. I had to buy the chair.

Thankfully, it came back in stock at Target. Not only that, it was on sale with free shipping, so it ended up being the same price as Overstock. Sweet.

And it's perfect, right? (Yes, I had to make a very special pillow for it as well. That will be carved on my tombstone.).

Cassie lurves it too!

Poor Mike. He seriously got 10 emails in 5 minutes from me, detailing my frantic search for the chair, and my elation at finding it. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't pull the same stunt two weeks later with these oh-so-expensive-yet-perfect mirrors I've been stalking for our bedroom. I told him to blame Sarah Richardson, she was the one who put them in our inspiration room. He told me to stop looking at my wishlists.

Thankfully, there was one big purchase we made recently in which stalking paid off, big time:

After months of price-checking, we got an amazing deal on a 60" Sharp Aquos television. We got it at Costco, who doesn't have Black Friday deals, but just so happened to have this TV on sale... on Black Friday. Ha! Well, it was on sale all week, technically.

Anyways - it's so nice to have a large TV again. We put our old 50" projection on FreeCycle when we moved and had been getting by with the 32" that had previously been in our bedroom. We didn't realize how much we missed having a drive-in theater in our living room. We're big movie buffs, and Mike makes the yummiest kettle-cooked popcorn.

I also love how well it fills out the Besta media stand from Ikea - the whole room looks in proportion now. I'll have to post some updated shots of the living room overall soon - I've swapped out the coffee table as well. Now all we need is a new couch - which is still elusive.

Hey, Mr. Postman! Like Our New Box?

2012-01-13T09:00:00.015-05:00

(Yes, I realize the humor in that post title. Secretly, I'm still fourteen.) Here's what our old mailbox looked like. It was...um...not our style? Ok, it was ugly. When we pulled up to the house for the first time, it was the first thing I saw. I said "Well, that has to go." Mike was busy eyeing the white plastic fence. He added, "That too."

Mike had a deep hatred for that white fence that I never understood. It was pointless - three posts on each side of the driveway at an angle. I'm sure it was meant to be decorative, but it was just silly. I figured sooner or later I'd take it out with my car as I tried to back out of the driveway (not my strongest skill). But sure enough, the day we moved in, Mike was out there - in the rain, tearing the darn thing out. He claimed "it was in the way of the UHaul" but he just looked a tad too joyful when ripping those white plastic posts out.

All but one.

He left one post in because we planned on eventually putting a new mailbox in and it would get us ahead of the game with digging a post hole. So for eight months, our neighbors were probably a bit confused.

Until that shiny new mailbox went in! Here's a breakdown of the project. Mike did this all himself, including the photos - I just watched from the front window while I sewed the dining room curtains.

So here's a close-up of the previous mailbox. Dig the covered bridge scene? Yeah, we didn't either. The bottom was even worse; as you can see from the photo below, it was a cemented-in milk can. (PS - in the photo above, you can also see how pretty the new blue door looks!)

Mike started by taking out the last, lone post.

See? Already halfway done. Mike dug down to the height he needed, then...

He inserted the new post, and held it in place with some bracing so that it would stay level during the cement pour. Both the post and mailbox are from Lowe's. The post is cedar, and Mike brushed on two coats of all-weather lacquer before dropping it in the hole. I'm hoping this will help prevent weathering.

Mike then mixed a bag of Quikrete (How funny is it that a guy is using it to put in a mailbox pole on the bag? Ha!).

He poured the Quikrete in the post hole and left the bracing in place while it set up, which was about two hours.

Next, Mike added some brushed nickel numbers, also from Lowe's. They wouldn't be my first choice, but they were the best/closest to what we were looking for without having to special order anything. Our house is at the end of a spur off a larger U-shaped neighborhood, and around the corner, all the houses have the numbers on the post, which I liked better than having the numbers on the box itself (which is what the other side of the U has). Plus, I figure now we can take those big ol' numbers over the garage off the house.

Next, Mike removed the old mailbox. I kind of wish I had gotten video of this process. I watched from a safe distance in the house. He basically tied the old mailbox to the trailer hitch on his truck and dragged it out of the ground. Well, it was a bit more complicated than that - it involved using some wood planks to convert horizontal force into vertical force and pull the cement can out of the ground. It was all very engineering-ish. Anyways, out it came. It's hiding behind our shed at the moment until we can figure out how to dispose of it.

So here is the new mailbox, in all of it's metallic glory. Pretty, right? Makes a huge difference to the front of the house. The box is called "ironsides" - it's real heavy duty, which is nice - means we probably won't have to replace it. I also like the front flap, it's magnetic, so it closes nicely.

Mike used the dirt he took out of the new post hole to fill the old hole left by the previous mailbox, but it wasn't enough, and after the first rain, it packed down even more. So sooner or later, we're going to have to level out the old hole a bit better. Eventually, we'll be tearing out the driveway and will put in a straight, paver driveway (right now the driveway is narrow at the bottom and curves up to the garage - it's tricky to back out of because you can't just go straight back). When we do that, we're going to do an offshoot of the pavers around the mailbox, which will also create a pad for the trash can. But that's a long way off!

Decal Fail (and Office Update)

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Remember this post, where we solved the mystery of the Mystery Room? Well, phase one was to paint. Check. Phase two - hang up vinyl decals. Check. Er... well, at least for 24 hours.

The painting went pretty easily, except for the charcoal wall we were going to hang the decals on. After two coats, you could still see the roller lines. So Mike did a third coat with one of those mini foam rollers and Bingo! it looked perfect. We waited a week, then applied the decals to the wall.

Turns out, we should've waited two weeks. When we woke up the next morning, this is what we found:

We tried everything: reapplying, taping up pieces, closing the door and shutting off the heat, etc. But in the end, it was a no go. We were bummed - not only was it a total waste of money, but they had looked so cool at first. It was disappointing.

Oh well, moving on. Here's what the room looks like now, freshly painted and with spiffy new curtains:

Let's recall, this is what we started with:

So... yeah. Definitely an improvement. Mike also put some shelves in the closet. This particular closet is going to house larger items, so it only needed a couple of sturdy shelves:

The curtain fabric is Dotscape Charcoal from DwellStudio. I got an amazing deal on it at a discount fabric shop. And by amazing, I mean these curtains cost me $10.00. The retail price per yard of the fabric is $28.00 - not too shabby! I totally goofed on them though - I had bought the fabric so long ago, I thought I bought the exact amount I needed so I could just cut the length in half, sew it to some lining, pop in some grommets and call it a day. Turns out, I bought a yard extra, which I only realized when I went to hang the drapes and each panel was 18 inches too long. Sheesh, this room was just a fail week for us all around. I pinned them up with safety pins for now. Eventually, I'll take them back down and hem them. Or maybe not. (Probably not)

We're still working on furniture for the office. Right now, we're thinking about a different desk from the inspiration photo, and maybe a different rug. I'm actually thinking about taking the rug from the guest room and sticking it in here, because I want a bigger one for in there. We'll see. The room is acting as a hodge-podge for the moment as we set up some Ikea tables (we own like, 5 table tops and a bunch of legs and just set them up when we need project space - it's the handiest thing ever) and dumped a bunch of crap on them. Mike emptied out the hall closet so he can install an outlet and new shelving in there (we're going to hide the TV components in there and hang a TV on the wall in our master bedroom), and last weekend I decided to peel off all the wallpaper in the bathroom... which is another blog entry altogether.

Stay tuned, we're hoping to get some furniture by the end of January and make more sense of this room.

Partnership With Dandelion Calligraphy

2012-01-08T16:16:00.000-05:00

I'm am SO excited to announce that I've recently partnered up with my friend Alyssa to provide calligraphy services for my brides. Alyssa has recently opened Dandelion Calligraphy and her work is very diverse. She has tons of styles to chose from, each one beautiful. If you have any interest in adding calligraphy services onto your Wicked Bride Stationery order, just let me know, and I'll put you in touch with her. Since Alyssa and I work together in our day jobs, it's a very convenient service for my brides. I can give Alyssa your envelopes, and pick them up from her when ready. This means everything - invitations and addressed envelopes - arrive in one package ready to mail!

Here are some examples of her unique style:

Something Old, Something New

2012-01-05T19:55:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everybody! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! We've been flat-out crazy since Thanksgiving. Just so much to do, so little time to do it in. Christmas was a whirlwind - four families, four days, two states. And Mike wonders why I want to go on a cruise next year? Thankfully, New Year's Eve was low-key. My mum came over with some yummy pastries and Chambord. Her and Mike mixed it with champagne. I had only a sip - unfortunately, I can't have anything carbonated (I'm that lame) - but they looked delicious! There was a Monk marathon on cloo, so we kicked back and dozed a bit until it was time for the ball drop. Yeah, we're real party animals. I think we were in bed by 12:15. It was nice to relax though, especially with how busy I've been both at my day job, and with the stationery. Mike's slammed too - we're both averaging around 60 hours a week for work nowadays. Really. Need. A. Vacation. I'll be in Las Vegas with my day job in a couple of weeks - but since it's the hardest week of work I do all year, I won't exactly be lounging poolside.

Anyhoo - I'm going to have to backtrack a bit in the next few posts. We got some projects started (one finished) over the past couple of months, and it's time to share.

First up, my new camera came! I love it. Yes, it took me two weeks to figure out how to zoom out, so what? :) When we unpacked the camera, Mike unwrapped the strap with "oooh, this is nice." I made the stink-eye. It was nice, don't get me wrong, but it was very, I dunno... boring? Utilitarian? Now, you've followed the blog so far, so you know I tend to lean a bit more to the masculine/clean/simple in my design - but I couldn't help but want something a bit more fun for a camera strap. Then it hit me - I have a great strap already.

All through high school, I took photography classes. My dad gave me his old Praktica camera - it has this amazing German lens. I think it's around 40 years old now - maybe more? I also used it all through college until digital cameras were mass-marketed and became inexpensive. Now you can't even find film, never mind someone to develop it. I also think it might need some work - I'm pretty sure there is a hole in the shutter because the last roll of film I developed (yes, this was back in the day when I developed my own film and made my own prints) had a flare on every photo. Anyways, it's been sitting in storage for years.

So when the new camera came, I thought it would be neat to take off the camera strap from my dad's old camera and put it on the new Rebel. Funny enough, I'm fairly certain they still make straps like this. But mine is true vintage - even has the smell to prove it. The strap kinda stinks. It's like wearing a musty basement around your neck. I kind of love it.

Here's some pics I shot of the old camera, bag and strap with my new camera:

Do you guys have anything old you've repurposed? For me, every time I sling the camera over my shoulder, I think of my dad, which makes me smile. Some days, when life is bananas and one smile is all you get, it helps to make that smile count.

Wicked Bride on Style Me Pretty!

2011-12-15T11:50:00.000-05:00

I might throw up. I'm not kidding, I'm that excited. Remember when I teased yesterday that next week I would be featuring another real wedding? Well, Style Me Pretty beat me to it. My former bride (now newlywed!) Liz emailed me this morning with breaking news: her wedding just debuted on the Holy Grail of wedding sites! I created Liz's Playbill invitations, along with a bunch of goodies for her big day, including cupcake flags and dessert signs.

Here is some of my work featured on the site:

{ all photos by Behind the Lens photography, please do not use without permission }

To see the rest of Liz's beautiful day, click here! Thank you so much to Liz for sharing this with me, I'm beyond excited for you and Brendan!

Real Wedding: Courtney & Paul

2011-12-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

Remember when this blog was actually about stationery? I'm bringing that back today, peeps. No house updates, no crying at Target, just a really beautiful Boston wedding!

You may remember Courtney's awesome Boston Skyline invites. This was the girl who started the trend, folks!

Courtney found me through our mutual wedding photographer, the mega-talented Lisa Rigby. If you are getting married, take a meeting with Lisa. And if, by chance, she has your date available, do not think, just hand her a check. She's amazing. Her work has appeared in countless publications and she's an absolute joy to work with.

Lisa shot some great detail photos of the pieces I created for Courtney & Paul's big day:

{ all images by Lisa Rigby Photography, please do not use without permission }

Thank you so much to Courtney, Paul and Lisa for sharing these images with me! To see more of Courtney's beautiful wedding - check out Lisa's blog.

Next week, I'm hoping to feature another great wedding where I got to make cupcake signs!

Stop Me if You've Heard This One

2011-12-12T12:57:00.002-05:00

A girl goes into Target, looking for an SD card that ~~the cats buried under furniture somewhere~~ she misplaced. She looks over the cards, images of her unimpressive blog and product photos dancing like sugarplums through her head (I don't even know what a sugarplum is, but I do know that I cannot take any more holiday music. I'm thisclose to a white padded room.), when an alert dings on her phone.

The Canon Rebel T2i that she put on her Amazon wishlist last year just dropped over $300.

Girl exclaims "F this!" runs from the store (and sugarplums), races home, allows herself ten minutes in which to consult a photographer friend and her husband (yes, in that order) before clicking "add to cart." Girl plots her next trip to Target, which will include a hunt for a new SDHC card for her soon to arrive Canon Rebel T2i.

Merry Christmas to me, ha!

Actually, Christmas already came early to our house, we scored a deal on a new 60" Sharp Aqous TV a couple weeks back. Yes, we had been stalking that as well. What can I say? It pays to stalk. I plan on posting pictures of the shiny new LCD beast... when my new camera comes. ;)

I think I also get bonus points for not sobbing on my return trip home from Target this time around. Before I left for my errands, I thought about pre-gaming the trip with a warning text message to my brother (only fair, right?) but I held it together this time. I also avoided the book aisle completely. That was the main contributing factor for my sh*t not being lost on route 16 somewhere.

Will post some more once the camera arrives! We had a major fail with a project for Mike's office, can't wait to share!

LOST: One SD Card (And Possibly a Brain)

2011-12-07T09:37:00.004-05:00

I know it's in the house somewhere. It has to be. I'm sure I put it in a "special" place to be retrieved later, but since I have the memory capacity of a goldfish, I can't remember where that "special" place is. And it isn't in the usual haunts. Possibly, a cat had something to do with this. A little swat, swat, bat, bat, and the SD card and reader end up under the fridge (Which, by the way, is making ominous groaning noises at the moment. Fantastic.)

In any case, there goes six months of home improvement photos. I think that I got everything off and up on the blog before it mysteriously disappeared - but it partially explains my recent absence. Well, that and the holidays. Plus three jobs. Not to toot my own horn - you all know I don't even own one of those, but I didn't get in three magazines this year plus a nod on DailyCandy without treating the stationery business as an honest-to-goodness job. I'm treating my writing project in the fashion. If you don't take things seriously, no one else will, right?

I'm hoping to pick up another card and reader for the camera sometime this weekend. We do have some projects in the can though; we are the proud new owners of a shiny new mailbox (goodbye aluminium monstrosity with covered bridge motif!), and we've completed both the painting and drapes in Mike's office. He's also installed our new garage door openers (just in time for winter), and is working on building out storage solutions in some of our closets - so there is a lot going on.

Actually, that's kind of an understatement. There's a TON going on, not just with the house. My brain seems to be holed up with that missing SD card somewhere.

Right now, I'm wading into the busiest season of the year/following year at my day job, have a full client queue on the stationery front, and my seven-year-novel-experiment is complete at over 86,000 words, and I'm knee deep in the revision process with my CP/ED (critique partner slash editor). I've debated about discussing my writing on this blog, and I'm still undecided. By my own admission, I don't get too personal on here - don't take it personally, dear readers, I keep the world at arm's length. I can count on one hand the number of people who honestly, truly, and completely know me (And thus, know how to handle me when I call them sobbing on a Saturday morning on my way home from Target. Andy got to field that one, lucky bastard.). Believe me, I'm grateful for each and every one of them every day of my life. I know I may seem deceptively open because on most occasions, I won't shut up, but I consider 99% of what I say absolute fluff. It's the lint I pull off the emotions I really feel, the thoughts I'm really thinking, the experiences I've really had.

And at this point, my writing is still deeply, deeply personal to me, and I suppose I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. Or share. But let's face it, I've never been good at sharing (unless it's a DIY project or a great deal on designer handbags). Blogging sometimes creates a glossier depiction of what's really going on in my life, and that's on purpose. Because you don't need to know everything (like how I call my brother crying on my way home from discount stores...oops). Everyone has their crazy moments. Everyone. I just keep mine close to the vest. Real close. Anyways, working on my novel is the biggest reason I've been running silent lately.

I only have so many hours in the day, which include working and commuting all day (so I can help pay the mortgage and get us free health insurance - boo-yeah!) helping brides in the evening (which I do for pure enjoyment), and writing and revising at night, often into the wee hours (because it's something I'm completely passionate about; always have been, always will be). Life is short, and so are my days, it seems. I've always been a strong believer in doing what you love, and the things you love don't have to be mutually exclusive. You also get to a point in your life (turning 31 helps) when you realize that the only way things are going to happen is if you make them happen. There aren't any shortcuts (although sage advice from others helps tremendously - research, research, research!), you have to climb ropes, you have to fail and then fail again (and I'm very adept at failure), and you have to work your ass off. No one is going to do that for you. (Gets down from soapbox.)

I also recognize that, despite the lack of comments on this blog, I do have an audience out there, and a faithful one at that. You write to me, you tell me how much you love what I'm doing. It's humbling to receive an email from someone who doesn't want anything from me except to tell me that I'm awesome. I keep every single one, I respond to every one, I appreciate every one. At the same time, I've shot myself in the foot with this blog a bit, because now when I run into people, they talk about my projects before I even have a chance to mention them, to share how excited I am about them, because they already read all about them!

I think for now, the writing is something I'm going to keep close to the vest. If anything comes out of it, you'll be the first to know. A girl has to have something that's just hers - even for a moment, before it's released into the world (and torn to shreds by literary agents). Besides, this blog has become the strangest collection of information. It's no secret how heinously awkward I am, and it seems that awkwardness has thoroughly translated to the blog-o-sphere as well.

Just know that I'm still around, I'm still busy, I'm still transforming our home room by room. I'm just also attempting to transform my life in the process. Bear with me.

Dining Room: Progress

2011-11-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

I'm inching toward my inspiration in the dining room. It's a small room, and next year it's going to lose two walls - so I think for now it may be as finished as it is going to be, ha!

Here's where we started:

Then we painted, hung up a new light, purchased a rug, and then I got my succulent on. So here is where we are now:

The curtains are done in the same fabric as the living room, except in reverse colors. This is great because eventually, the living room and dining room will be open to one another - and I wanted the curtains to complement each other, but still be different enough to define them as individual spaces. The rods are the same as the living room as well, from Crate & Barrel.

I found this $5.00 piece of art at the Christmas Tree Shop. You really can't beat the price! I just wish they had another one so I could've done a pair - but it starts bringing in the mustard color that I eventually want to incorporate into the room with mustard dining chairs. But a new table and chairs are a long way off - the set we have now works fine, and when we open up the walls we will have new dimensions to deal with. Unfortunately, I think it's going to mean my geometric rug is too small (it's a bit to small already, but only came in one size) - we may have to reevaluate this space once the walls start coming down.

The drapes alone have made a dramatic difference though - the room feels like a new part of the house. And the windows look enormous. My mother says it's turning into a "magazine room" - ha! I don't know if that's true, but it looks so good, we should really start using it more!

Updated Entryway

2011-11-17T09:00:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, I teased you with a photo of our front door, heavy with paint swatches. That was back in May. Yes, May.

This was just one of those projects that took us far longer to complete than we anticipated. We picked out a color, we picked out the hardware, we started researching options for a new side-window, and then I don't know what happened. I guess it started with the hardware - the new entryway handle we fell in love with went from $170 to $390 over night. Yeah... we'd pay that no problem for the new, modern door we have planned to install in a couple years - but for our crappy old door? Not going to happen. And then, turns out, the material we picked out for the new side window was more expensive to ship then the product itself. We hit so many snags we just moved on to other projects.

But one warm weekend in September, we finally got the updated entry way finished. First, here is what it looked like when we moved in:

No, that's not yellow glass in those panels in the side window - it's actually yellow plastic. Yeah. Awesome. It's hard for me to believe that anyone, anywhere, at any time, thought this looked good.

The front of the door was a muddy brown, and the old light fixture (which I can't find a picture of...) was a bug death-trap. It was a glass bowl suspended by a gold chain, and when bugs flew in, they couldn't get back out. It was like a little cemetery in our entryway. Gross.

Mike started by painting the walls, which we had left unpainted when we did the living room because it required what we call "Extreme Painting." 12 foot high ladders, the longest roller pole ever invented, railing removal - you can see how the task became daunting, and thus, why it hadn't been completed so far. He then finished all the trim in the same white that runs through the rest of the house, as well as the back of the door.

Once the walls were done, he moved onto the front of the door. We ended up selecting "Lagoon" from Martha Stewart. A popular door color in our town is "Cape Cod Blue" which is a true aqua (one of my favorites!) - the Lagoon is basically the same color:

So here is what the door looks like now:

I love it. It reminds me of a Tiffany's box, so every day, coming home is like opening a gift. We also ditched the old brass knocker and lockset and got a brushed nickel set. We're still dreaming of that fancy-smanchy set we have picked out though for our future door.

We got this great Soho Burst rug at Overstock on a great sale. I though the pattern, color, and texture would hide dirt well. I also wanted a huge rug for this landing spot. We had a smaller rug here for several months and the cats used it as a surf board down the side staircase. Either that, or they dive-bombed into it on their way down the stairs, resulting in a barricade when you tried to open the door after you've been stuck in traffic for over an hour to get home and really have to pee... Yeah so the little rug was out. This one is really thick, and takes up almost the whole space of the landing. They can't budge this sucker, and believe me, they've tried.

What's cool about this rug is that the "bursts" are three-dimensional and feel really great on your feet. There are some metallic threads running through the design, and at night when the entryway light is on, it kind of sparkles a little. It's like hallway bling. I like it. Although - it took me awhile to get used to the rug at first because it was so different - but once we had more progress completed in the living room, I thought the rug was perfect.

Buh-bye bug cemetery! We finally got our Capri pendant light hung up and it looks amazing. It makes a huge difference at night now, with the amount of light that pours out of it.

But the most dramatic difference is the new side window:

HUGE difference, right? It lets SO MUCH light in now - the entry way no longer feels like a cave. We went with a Plexiglas composite. At first I wanted real glass, but then when Mike reminded me that someone could easily shatter the glass panel and open our front door (or walk right through) and that a composite would be shatterproof - I was sold.

And the last change was small - but also makes a world of difference:

Mike painted the stair risings white and I swear - they make the entryway feel "lighter" somehow.

We aren't completely done yet - eventually we are going to get new glass and steel railings. When we had the railings off to paint, I loved how open everything felt, and I kind of wanted to keep them down. But then I pictured one of our guests tumbling over the side, and well, nipped that thought in the bud real quick!

Guest Bathroom: Mini Makeover

2011-11-15T09:00:00.005-05:00

Once we began actually having guests, I knew I had to do something about the guest bathroom. There was brown carpet on the floor (yes, I said CARPET), an old light fixture that made you look like you had a major case of jaundice, and way too many over-sized cabinets for such a small space.

Like the kitchen, I didn't want to spend too much money on this project because - see that brown tile wall? Yes, that one that looks like something in a baby's diaper. I'm personally taking a sledgehammer to that wall in a couple years.

But for now, we just have to work with what we've got. Although, we may be getting a better toilet soon because this one loves to leak and gush at 2 a.m. - we've been turning it off when we know guests aren't coming over to help save water.

Anyways - I decided to give the bathroom a little mini-makeover with a budget in mind of $200 or under. I think I came in somewhere around $175, which isn't too shabby - but I'm still not done. Here's the progress so far:

Starting with the floor, Mike took out the brown carpet that was covering the brown linoleum and the loose gold metal threshold. Thankfully the carpet was just a bound remnant, which was tacked down by the threshold, so that was an easy process. Originally I was going to lay the floor, but we were trying to get too many things done at once, and since Mike can't sew drapes, he was stuck with the flooring project.

He removed the toilet, cleaned the floor, and started laying new vinyl tiles. The ones I got were Pearl Grey by Trafficmaster - I got a box at the Home Depot for $30. They are really pretty in person - they have a metallic sheen to them that the camera doesn't pick up very well. Then Mike put down a new brushed nickel threshold that matches both the floor and the rest of the house nicely.

We ditched the dated medicine cabinet and purchased this mirrored frame mirror at Target ($30). I love this mirror - every time I stopped by target I visited the mirror aisle just to say hello. It was nice to finally take it home with me! This is one of the only things that will stay in the renovated bathroom in the future.

We took out both of the over-sized, black-hole cabinets and opted for one streamlined, contemporary cabinet instead. We also got this at the Home Depot online ($69). It's a Home Decorators Collection item, but the Home Depot was offering a deal that day, plus free shipping, so it ended up being a lot cheaper to purchase through them. The white waffle-weave shower curtain was a wedding gift, so that was free!

Yay, no more jaundice! We replaced the old light fixture (which, believe it or not you can still find at Home Depot) with this more modern one, also from the Home Depot ($24). This light isn't exactly my style - but it's pretty, and it was inexpensive.

Accessorizing is kind of my Achilles heel. I just haven't gotten it down yet. I'm so anti-clutter that my style could probably be described as "spare" - but I'm finding that little items here and there help warm up a house. For the back of the toilet, I got a tall pedestal vase at HomeGoods ($9) and filled it with the all the soap bars in the closet that were taking up valuable real estate. I think I saw this in a magazine once and always liked it as a good soap-storage option. Plus it smells nice. I also found a little basket at Michaels ($4) and filled it with some coordinating wash cloths I found at HomeGoods ($2 each). I'm big on geometric patterns and I'm planning on doing a hexagonal pattern in white marble someday in this bathroom, so the honeycomb patterned wash cloths were perfect in case I want to keep them after the reno.

More matching honeycomb hand towels - found at HomeGoods ($3 each). I tried to keep the new items in blues and browns to work with all the brown tile already in place.

And last, some bird artwork I found at HomeGoods awhile back ($25). I love this print - and it has gold metallic paint mixed in, which has inspired my future plans for the walls. This winter, I'm planning on tearing off that nasty wallpaper and creating horizontal stripes on the wall that wrap around the whole room. I'm planning on doing a tone on tone effect, except the alternating stripes will have either a opalescent or metallic finish paint.

So that's it for now - like I said, it's still an ugly bathroom, but it's also at the bottom of our gut/reno list, so if I can make it cute for the next few years, I'll consider that a success.

And the Winner is...

2011-11-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

Not me. Not even close - but I didn't finish dead last, so thank you all so much for the final push of votes! You can all rest assured that I will not cry myself to sleep at night tonight, ha! Just kidding - I don't take these kinds of things very seriously.

But what this post is REALLY about is the winner of my giveaway! Now, I think Google Analytics is a lyin' to me, because for the amount of readers I have, I thought I'd have more comments, but let's face it - how many people really need a flag bunting for a nursery? Not many of you! And that's ok, I didn't expect a huge turnout. But thank you, thank you, thank you to the three ladies who entered!

After my incredibly scientific method of choosing a winner (I put your names in a vase, gave it a shake, and pulled out a slip - I know, Einstein would be proud) - the winner is...

Shannon K!

Congrats, Shannon! I have no idea what you'll do with this bunting, but I'm sure you'll find it a good home! Shoot me an email at erica{at}wickedbride.com and I'll drop it in the mail next week!

Vote for me!

2011-11-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,

Recently, I entered my faux bois invitations in Cards & Pocket's annual design contest. What I didn't realize was that (1) there would be so many entries and (2) that it was more of a popularity contest, and less of a talent-competition. I've never been good with the popularity thing. Ok, I suck at it. I also suck at begging for votes. But I'm going to give it my best shot!

Please, please, please - vote for me! I'm not looking to win, I just don't want to come in dead last (which is right where I'm sitting right now). I don't think my ego could take it, especially after the year I've had, being in magazines and all that.

Voting ends tomorrow, so CLICK HERE to go to the voting page.

Thank you!

Your humble blogger-ella,
Erica

Kitchen Updates

2011-11-10T09:00:00.008-05:00

So, you may all recall that I hate our kitchen.

It's ugly, but at least it's functional (for the most part). We've been living with it for several months and thought that one improvement we could make was to simply paint the cabinets. We didn't want to go too far with too much labor, decor, or costs because we're going to rip this kitchen out - sooner rather than later. We just wanted to brighten it up a bit, so while I was on vacation with my mother at the end of September, Mike painted the kitchen.

It didn't go well. At one point, when I called him from the hotel in Clearwater, he sighed and said, "Honey, I'm done painting after this. Done." Mike has an infinite amount of patience, so if the kitchen had pushed him to his limit, I knew it was rough going. But he got it all done, and while the kitchen is still hideously ugly, at least it doesn't look like we're cooking at a camp anymore:

My mum picked up a cheapo rug ($19.99) at Ikea that was in our color scheme to help cover up some of that linoleum. It's one of those man-made plastic deals that wipes off with a sponge, so I don't want to hear any "that's unhygienic" protests. Honestly, we're not in the kitchen enough to even spill anything on it in the first place.

Now, this kitchen isn't going to look good until we tear out walls and gut the place. I can't wait for that day - because we used to spend a ton of time in the kitchen together - but now neither one of us like being in there much. But for now, it serves it's purpose, and the white paint is a HUGE improvement.

We had been thinking about taking off the wall paper and painting in here too - but after seeing/hearing what Mike went through even to get the cabinets painted, I'd rather just put a sledgehammer through the wall next year, paper and all.

Guest Room: More Updates

2011-11-08T09:00:00.004-05:00

You may recall our guest room makeover - recently, I bought some more goodies for the room and wanted to share.

First, I purchased a parson's chair for the corner, and made a little pillow for it out of the matching headboard material. It's the perfect shade of light green and is a nice place for guests to sit a spell or rest their belongings. Originally I had envisioned doing a set of chairs, flanking the dresser - but when my mother started to stay over from time to time, a request was submitted for a television. So eventually a TV will go in the other corner, when we have cable wired into the room.

I found the chair at HomeGoods for $99, and because I recently missed out on a set of chairs for this room by taking too long to think about it - I bought this one on the spot. It's not every day you run into green chairs, I've discovered. Besides, it's easy enough to just bring it home and return if it doesn't work in the space, right? Well, turns out, sort of. See I bought this chair on the last really warm day of fall, which meant all of my windows were down and wind baffled through my car, and through the HomeGoods bag, in which the check-out lady had tucked the receipt for the chair. Suddenly I saw a white slip of paper jettison from the back window and out into the busy road. Yeah, there was no way I was going back to retrieve that puppy, so when I rolled up to our house I prayed Mike would like the chair after sheepishly explaining what happened to the receipt. But, thankfully - he liked it - and I did too - I think it's just the right size and height for the space.

Above the chair, on either side of the window, are a set of prints my mum found on the clearance rack at Target one day:

I love the knot pattern, it reminds me of the fabric on the pillows on the bed. And could the color be any more perfect to match that chair?

I also got this framed Picasso print that I had been stalking at Ikea. I knew I had to have it somewhere in my house, and it looks perfect in the guest room:

And last, we haven't been able to get to the closet doors in this room yet, and the gaping hole left behind was driving me crazy, so I bought a pair of inexpensive ivory textured panels from HomeGoods (can't beat $16 for a set!) and an extension rod from Target ($7, shower section) and hung them up to cover the doorway. It's not beautiful - but it's better than it was before :)

We still have some more work to do in here - the cable/tv for starters, and then we want to build a custom ottoman side table for next to the bed. I'm also hunting for nice silver picture frames to go on the mirrored dresser top so I can display family photos. I only have one frame right now, and well, it looks lame all by itself, haha! It's a work in progress, what can I say?

Let's Party: DIY Flag Bunting (and a Giveaway!)

2011-11-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, I was going to include this in the earlier "details" post, but it got so lengthy, I decided it was easier to just give it it's own space.

I planned on making this bunting months ago - probably the minute after Betsy told me she was pregnant. I had seen the whimsical detail popping up everywhere; online, at weddings, and on Sarah 101. :) I found several tutorials on how to make it - all seemed easy enough - but you know me, easy isn't how I operate - so I decided to just make up my own method and see how it worked out.

Many of the tutorials were more geared toward quick & easy because the bunting was being used for just one event and didn't need to hold up more than a few hours. But I had planned that this bunting would be just perfect to hang over Ryan's crib, so I wanted it to be substantial enough to last for a couple years. Once my cousin and her husband finally decided on a name, I gave myself the green light to go ahead with the project.

Here's what you'll need:
- Various printed fabrics, see my list below
- 1-3 Sheets of craft felt (if you want to add a name)
- Pinking shears
- A triangle template (Look, I made one for you!)
- A spool of ribbon
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Pins

Step 1: Fabrics

All of the fabrics I used are by Premier Prints, and I purchased all of them online at Fabric.com. Now, you don't need a lot of fabric for this, I probably only used about a quarter yard of each, but I'm really picky, and wanted specific fabrics I couldn't find at Joann's, so I bought the 1/2 yard minimum at Fabric.com. I figure I'll make little Ryan a play quilt with the leftovers eventually. Here is a list of all the fabrics I purchased, if you're interested:

Fabrics
- Elephant Village, in Brown
- Topeka Solid, in Mist
- Gisella, in Mist/Putty
- Unprinted Cotton, in Natural
- Topeka Solid, in Chocolate
- Dottie, in Chocolate
- Zig Zag, in Brown/Natural
- Morgan Stripe, in Mist/Putty
- Fancy Dot, in Mist/Putty

Felt
- Rainbow Classic Felt, in Cocoa Brown
- Rainbow Classic Felt, in Cashmere
- Rainbow Classic Felt, in Baby Blue

Ribbon
- 5/8 Grosgrain ribbon in beige from Joann's

Step 2: Cut out your triangles

Cut out your triangle template. Then fold a section of fabric, the height of your triangle, over on itself and iron. Put the top of the triangle at the ironed seam and pin in place.

Take your pinking shears, and cut along the long edges of the triangle. You can also use a rotary cutter for this, which is helpful if you are doing a long length of bunting.

Unpin the template, and you will have a double-sided triangle (more like a diamond when laid flat), like below:

Repeat pinning and cutting until you have the desired amount of flags cut from each fabric pattern.

Step 3: Arrange your bunting

I cut out 3 flags from each piece of fabric, even though I needed less, so that I could play around with the arrangement and add or subtract flags as necessary:

Once I was happy with the order, I secured each flag to the ribbon by lining up the ribbon in the folded crease at the top of each flag, then I pinned the sides so the flags wouldn't fall off or shift while I sewed. I kept the flags around an inch apart, and I started around 12 inches in from the beginning of the ribbon so I would have plenty of extra to tie the bunting around hooks at each end.

Step 4: Sew the flags

I selected a chocolate brown thread, and used it to stitch all of the flags together. I liked the contrast it created on some of the lighter flags, and I was just too darn lazy to keep switching my machine over to a different thread (boy do I miss having a second machine set up for these kinds of things - but my other sewing machine is missing a treadle). I stitched about 1/4 inch in from the pinked edge:

Trim up your loose threads, make sure the end ribbons are even. If you aren't personalizing the banner, you can stop here - but if you want to add a custom touch, read on!

Step 5: Cut out the letters

I opened up an empty word document, and simply typed R Y A N J A M E S and a star shape. Since the baby's name has an uneven amount of letters, I threw in the star so that the bunting can be hung in the middle and not break up the name.

Then I cut each letter out so it was in it's own square. I divided up the letters between the 3 colors of craft felt I had, and pinned the letter to the felt.

With a pair of small, sharp scissors, I cut out every letter. It was tedious, but not difficult - I sat on the couch and watched HGTV while I did it so it was bearable.

Step 6: Glue the letters down

Once I had all the letters cut out, I used a glue gun to stick them to each flag. You can also use some fabric or Sobo glue for this step too, which might be smarter (although you have to be patient while the glue dries) - because I burnt the crap out of my hand with the hot glue trying to position these tiny little letters.

Step 7: Hang it up!

To hang the bunting on the wall, I used 3 tiny, clear removable hangers from 3M. I think they are for key chains or something - I got the smallest ones I could find at Target. Place them on the wall in even intervals, then tie the longer ends to each hook with a simple knot. Viola! Cute baby decor!

But wait, didn't I say something about a giveaway....?

GIVEAWAY

That's right! My first ever giveaway! You see I made so many flags for Ryan's bunting, I didn't want to toss out all the extras. Instead, I made another little bunting and thought I would give it away to a lucky reader who wanted it!

To Win: Comment on this post - you can say anything, I don't care! Well, try to keep it pleasant, deal?

Odds of Winning: Depend on how many people comment on this post! Which, if you're a regular reader, you know your odds are pretty good because no one ever comments ;)

Who Can't Win: Family. Sorry! I know my family are big readers of this blog (and usually the only people who comment), but let's let someone else have a chance, ok?

The Drawing: The winner will be selected at random (I'm putting your name in a hat and making Mike pick it out) on Friday, November 11th and announced on this blog - so check back next week to see if you've won!

What You'll Win: A mini flag bunting with 8 flags and 3 pieces of colored craft felt in case you want to personalize it with a name!

Here's a pic of the bunting you'll win:

Good luck!

Let's Party: All in the Details

2011-11-04T09:00:00.004-04:00

Continuing with Baby Party! week, today I'm talking details. It's all about the small stuff, right? So here are some cute touches from the event that you can add to any party!

1. Cupcake Flags
For dessert, I ordered some cupcakes from Konditor Meister. Treats from KM have pretty much become a staple at our family get-togethers. The cupcakes were a mix of gold with chocolate filling, and chocolate with vanilla filling. They were delicious - and the perfect afternoon treat!

To dress them up a little, I cut flags out of leftover scrapbooking paper that I had used for the envelope liners in the invitation. I made a template for you, if you'd like to try this at home. Just take a piece of 8.5x11 patterned paper from the craft store (the kind that has a pattern on the front, but is blank on the back), and run the piece of patterned paper through your printer so that the template prints on the back. Then cut out the flags, and fold them along the dotted line. Run a strip or bead of glue across the flag, and wrap around a toothpick. They charge good money for fancy cupcake flags in the store, which is silly when you can make them for around .25 cents.

2. Favors By the Door & A Framed Invitation
When it comes to favors, I'm all about edible options. Probably because I'm not a nick-nack kind of person - but more likely, because I have an insatiable sweet tooth. I found these adorable (and delicious!) cookies on etsy, seller TSCookies. They were so cute, it was painful. I had them done with elephants and giraffes on the onesies, but Melissa also offers them with a lion as well. And they were REALLY good! I wasn't sure what to expect from cookies in the mail - but they were real yummy. If I ever need cookie favors again, I'm definitely going back to TSCookies.

A good tip with favors is to have them as close to the exit as you can - that way it's much easier to remind guests to take one (or two!) as they leave.

Another detail I like to have at events (especially if it is a surprise!) is a framed copy of the invitation. It doesn't have to be expensive or fancy - I found this great chocolate brown frame on sale at Target that was just perfect - but it always means a lot to the person being celebrated to have it as a keepsake. And a bonus, if it matches the decor of their home, chances are you'll see it pop up again when you visit! This reminds me of my beautifully framed shower invitation that was broken in our move... now I'm bummed... so... moving on!

3. Flowers
Have them everywhere! Flowers are a really great, inexpensive way to add some softness to any table. The day before the party, I just went to my local grocery store (which always has a decent selection) and bought armfuls of every white flower they had in stock. I wanted to keep everything simple, and nothing says simple like a monochromatic palette (but, of course I'm biased because I did the same thing with our wedding flowers).

I have a ton of clear cylinder vases at home, so I divvied up the flowers and made a bunch of arrangements. The cylinder vases are great because you can create both high and low arrangements depending on the height. For the table centerpiece, I took a big bunch of baby's breath and put that in the largest cylinder vase, then with all the vases I wrapped around a blue and white twisted bakers twine a few times and finished it with a simple knot. Then I put the vases all over the house; one on each side table, a small vase on the coffee table (pictured) and the large bunch of baby's breath stayed on the dining room table.

4. Fun Menu Cards
I love fun and different ways of presenting menu options. When I saw these little kraft giraffes (and elephants too!) at Michael's in the dollar aisle, I grabbed a ton of them. This was back in April and I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but thought they might be perfect in some way for the shower.

They worked out perfectly to host the menu item cards. I cut some pearl metallic card stock down to business card size, and had my aunt write out all of the menu items. Then I pinned the card to each giraffe or elephant with a white pearl-head pin (found in the wedding aisle at the craft store).

And coming this afternoon, I'm going to go through a step-by-step tutorial of the cutest DIY Flag Bunting, which you can see in the background of the overview pictures from Tuesday :)

Let's Party: Menu

2011-11-03T09:00:00.016-04:00

For me, the hardest part of planning a party is always the menu. I have too many favorite recipes (Little known fact, I'm a recipe hoarder) to narrow it down sometimes. And then I get caught up in the season, and the time of day the party is, and what would be too heavy, or too light, etc. etc. etc.

Thankfully, my party menu got rave reviews, so I thought I would share it with you all in case you had an upcoming bash and were stuck on the food details. Most of my recipes are from Kraft Food & Family - my go-to site for recipes - but some I made up on my own as I went, so I'll make sure to break those down for you. Ready? Here we go!

Beverages

For the drinks, I kept it pretty simple with "Mock" Mimosas and glass pitchers of ice water with lemon. What's a "Mock" Mimosa you ask? Well it's a refreshing treat for gals of all ages - perfect for a party where a mix of young ladies would be rubbing elbows with the more mature set (I include myself in this group even though I totally just bought a hat that has an owl face on it and even little ears. Yes, it looks ridiculous on me. Yes, I'm going to wear it anyways.) - plus the non-alcoholic version means that the mom-to-be can also enjoy one!

Mock Mimosas
- Orange Juice
- Ginger Ale
- Crystal Light Lemonade Mix

Fill a large pitcher half way with chilled orange juice. Stir in two packets of the Lemonade mix. Keep cool in the fridge. Just before guests arrive, fill the reminder of the pitcher with Ginger ale.

Appetizers

Honey-Drizzled Cheddar Plate
Click here for recipe

Tip: I cut the cheddar into slices first, before topping with honey and nuts, and served with a small cheese knife. This made it easy for guests to get a slice of cheese without ripping the block apart. I served this with both apple wedges (the pre-cut kind you find in the salad aisle that doesn't brown), and crackers.

Vidalia Onion Dip
Click here for recipe

This is always a crowd-pleaser and perfect for fall parties! Confession; we had some left over after the party so I totally warmed it up for dinner and ate it on the couch while watching Family Guy. Klassy. Serve this with a hearty cracker, like Triscuts.

Dark Chocolate Covered Raspberries
My mother found these at the store and picked them up for me - let me tell you, they were amazing. I put them in small, colorful bowls around the party area and people ate them by the handful!

The Main Course

Apple Orchard Chicken Salad

Click here for recipe

The most delicious chicken salad I've ever had - the only changes I make to the recipe is omitting the celery. I'm not a celery fan. I also use one Macintosh apple and one Granny Smith apple. I served this with mini croissants that had been sliced for sandwiches.

Lemon-Mustard Pasta Salad

This one I made up on the fly - and my aunt actually cooked it for me while I was making the chicken salad (thank goodness!) so I'll try to remember how it's done:

- 1 box of Farfalle (bow tie) pasta

- 1 bunch of asparagus

- 1 pint of grape tomatoes

- 1 bottle of Brianna's Lemon-Tarragon Dressing

In a large pot, boil water. I like to add salt and oil. Cook box of pasta following directions. Drain, set aside. While pasta is cooking, prepare asparagus by washing and peeling stems. Cut stems into small pieces and saute until cooked through. Set aside. In the sink, rinse the pasta with cold water in a colander. Lightly mix while rinsing so that the pasta breaks apart and doesn't stick to itself. Let drain for a few minutes. In a large mixing bowl, spoon in a couple spoonfuls of pasta, and then a spoonful of asparagus. Drizzle the dressing while mixing so that everything is coated. Continue adding pasta and asparagus and dressing in small batches until all of the ingredients are gone and the mixture is well coated in the dressing. Cover and let sit in the fridge over night. Just before serving, drizzle more dressing (not too much - you don't want to soak it) and mix, salting to taste. Cut grape tomatoes in half and mix with pasta and asparagus.

Strawberry-Pecan Salad
This is one of those salads you don't really need a recipe for - but it has a great flavor and is super easy to make!

- Large tub of spring mix greens
- Pint of strawberries
- Pouch of glazed pecans
- Tub of blue cheese
- Pouch of Garlic & Butter croutons (Chatham Village is my fav)
- Kraft Light Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing
- Craisins

Wash and slice strawberries. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Just before serving, dress salad with vinaigrette, making sure everything is evenly coated.

Dessert

Cupcakes

The perfect little treat! I ordered the cupcakes from Konditor Meister and got a mix of gold with chocolate filling and chocolate with vanilla filling. Check back tomorrow to see how I dressed them up!

Fruit Trifle

Not everyone has a sweet tooth, so while at the grocery store I also picked up strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, green grapes and some kiwi. I sliced everything up and layered it in a trifle dish with some whipped cream.

There you have it - a great brunch menu for any season! Enjoy!

Let's Party: Invitations

2011-11-02T09:00:00.008-04:00

Following up from my overview yesterday, let's get started with the invitations. Now, baby shower invitations aren't exactly my specialty, but I knew I wanted to design them myself. After all, the invite sets the entire tone for the event (if I didn't believe that, I probably wouldn't own a stationery business, ha!), and I wanted to set a comfortable, casual, but cute feel from the get-go.

Before the party, I knew I would be making a flag bunting for the baby (more on that tomorrow!) and I also knew that Betsy had chosen Lambs & Ivy's Jake bedding for his room. I decided that I wanted to incorporate those two elements, along with the blue/brown color scheme.

I lined the khaki envelopes with a plaid scrapbooking paper I found at Joann's, and on the outside of the envelopes, just under where I wrote the addresses, I printed the elephant and giraffe design in chocolate brown.

I really took the whole elephant and giraffe concept and ran with it - which you'll see in some upcoming posts!

Let's Party, Baby!

2011-11-01T09:00:00.013-04:00

For months I had been planning a secret baby-party for my cousin Betsy. I know that technically, you aren't supposed to have another shower for the second baby, but I just had to throw a party for her in honor of the occasion. First, because she's having a boy this time, and needs some blue... everything! Her first baby was a girl, Sophie - who has to be the funniest little kid I've ever met. She reminds me of me as a toddler - except way more lovable. Sometimes, I see myself in her smile, and it just makes me melt. Yes, that's right, I am capable of loving a kid, ha! And boy, do I love Sophie - it's because of her that I'm already head over heels in love with Ryan and he's not even here yet (although, by the time this post gets published, he might be!).

Second, Sophie and Ryan are absolute miracles. I know - every child is a miracle - but not every child is born to a woman who survived brain cancer. That's right - Betsy is a cancer survivor. A few years ago, doctors found a mass on the front right hemisphere of her brain. She had surgery to remove the tumor, and then had to undergo chemotherapy. Throughout it all she remained completely positive and hopeful. She was amazing - they say that adversity exposes who we are, and through and through, Betsy is one of the happiest, most optimistic, most generous, most caring individuals I have been fortunate enough to not only know - but be related to. I'm not joking when I say that sometimes, when things are difficult in my life, I think "What would Betsy do?" Because at the end of the day, me getting caught in two hour traffic, hating the new drapes I just made, getting chewed out by someone at work, or accidentally ruining my cute new top in the wash are nothing compared to having your head cut open and a tumor taken out. Really puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

The doctors had warned her that after the treatment, she would likely be infertile - which was difficult news to digest as her and her husband were newly married and looking to start a family. But the doctors didn't know that she was in fact, Fertile Myrtle, and a month after they told her she could start trying, we were all buying pink onesies and counting down the days until Sophie arrived. And if that weren't wonderful enough - when she thought about maybe giving Sophie a sibling - well hello! - here comes Ryan.

Betsy has always been more like a sister than a cousin to me and my brother Andy, so when she let slip that she was pregnant, I called my aunt Barbie (her mother) and asked if I could throw Betsy a party. And - I wanted to keep it a secret. That may not sound like such a daunting task, but since the majority of our family live within blocks of each other and I have the memory of a goldfish - I was skeptical that I could keep it quiet.

So for months, I plotted and planned. I gathered up baby-party treats like a squirrel building a nest. I sent out an email in the guise of a ladies luncheon at my house and played it cool - and thankfully Betsy never caught on!

And oh was she surprised! This week, I'm going to give a rundown of the party, including some fun details and menu-planning tips. First, let's start with an overview of the day:

SURPRISE!!! I had guests come at 12:30, and then Barbie and Betsy arrived at 1:00. Since our house is a split level, Betsy had to come through the entry way and up the stairs the whole time not knowing a crowd of people were waiting at the top of the staircase. And even more hilarious - see those flowers she's holding? They are for me. When she got up to the top of the stairs, she did a double take when she saw all the people and all the gifts and decorations - she thought to herself, "Crap, I only brought her a bouquet!" She thought for a second that all the gifts were for me and it was some kind of housewarming!

After all the laughing and hugging had subsided, Betsy finally got to take her seat, and get a gander at all those surprise gifts. She had no idea when she got up that morning that she'd be coming home with a car full of presents!

I had moved the television out of the living room for the day and draped our entertainment center in a cute little elephants and peanuts fabric so that the presents could sit on top and out of the way (although they did start spilling onto the floor a bit!). Above the presents, I made a little fabric bunting with flags that spelled out Ryan's name. I'm going to do a How-To post on this later in the week (plus a giveaway!) so stay tuned! Above everything, we hung tissue-paper poms. You know we love these - we even used them for the wedding - but this time around, I just bought 2 Martha Stewart kits at the craft store and Mike hung them up with white thread and clear tacks. The only good thing about a popcorn ceiling? Tack holes don't show.

Here was my gift - the bottom basket has a bunch of supplies in it; diaper genie refills, diapers, wipes, all the stuff you need for a diaper bag and run out of constantly, etc. The top basket had some little newborn outfits in it, all with a elephant theme. Sure, I know he can only wear them for like, one day until he outgrows them - but it's a day that he'll look fabulous! I also tucked in a stuffed giraffe that I got for him on my recent trip to Bush Gardens Tampa. And I wrapped some brown ribbon with a blue edge around the baskets and tied it in a simple knot - perfect for extra storage in his room. The other gift I got was wrapped in a blue box next to the baskets - it had a handcrafted, modern ceramic white elephant which I thought would look nice on his book shelf.

P.S. - My mother's gift is the zebra themed one next to mine - wicked cute, right?

So after everyone had sat down and enjoyed some munchies, it was time for lunch - I'll be detailing the menu later in the week for anyone who is interested. I know I have a hard time sometimes putting menus together, but this one got rave reviews! I think it was the first time ever that I didn't have leftovers! Well, we made a little too much pasta salad that Barbie ended up taking home (she cooked it for me while we were party-prepping the night before!), but otherwise, clean plates all around!

After eating, we got to open some presents! I'll spare you all the present pictures - even though some of them are hilariously funny and touchingly sweet - but there's a lot of them - so here are a couple:

Here's what was in that zebra gift box from my mum - a little zebra bath set! Too cute! She also had a couple "bigger" outfits in there as well (including a pair of camo pants!) for the one day (hopefully not too soon!) where Ryan wakes up and is too big to fit in anything in his closet because he outgrew baby clothes over night!

And here is a dolly little hand stitched vintage blanket that Barbie found in a little shop somewhere.
Betsy got lots of great stuff, some really adorable outfits from our aunt in Florida, and a bunch of great necessity items like new burp cloths, bibs and socks, etc. (I will NEVER get over how cute baby socks are). I missed a lot of the gifts because I was in the kitchen clearing away lunch and setting up dessert, but I heard a lot of Ooohs, Ahhhhs, and laughing - so I knew things were going well.

And that leads me to my first party tip: Delegate.

It's impossible to be in all places at once, and to keep a party running smoothly, you've got to get some help. I know, I'm the biggest control freak most of you have ever met, and even I knew I needed help. The night before the party, my mother and auntie Barbie came over to help. They fluffed pomanders, they unpacked and washed dishes and silverware - and Barbie stayed late into the evening and helped me prepare all the food.

The next day, as soon as my cute-as-a-button cousin Morgan and her mother, my auntie Jen, walked in - I told them I had a job for them. Morgan is always a huge help, so I knew if I asked her to be the lookout for Betsy and to let us know when she arrived so we could get into place, she'd be up for the task. I also asked her to help out with presents - handing them to Betsy and clearing away the wrappings - she did a fantastic job all around and was a huge help to me. I then asked Jen if she could keep track of all of the gifts, so that Betsy would have no trouble writing thank you notes later. This was a perfect job for her because not only does she have nice, neat handwriting (it's easier to decipher the DaVinci Code then read mine), she doesn't get distracted, like oh, say...me...and would actually pay attention to what Betsy was unwrapping, whereas I would still be obsessing about the baby socks she opened first.

Both Jen and Barbie shot pictures of the event (special thanks for letting me include them in my blog!), and my mother kept track of what needed to be refilled and took people on tours of our house. I am extremely grateful for all of their help - I wouldn't have been able to pull off this party without each and every one of them!

During the gift opening, there was a quiet moment where everyone began to get emotional. Not a surprise, in a room full of women, one of which is eight months pregnant! I think that Betsy was in shock the whole day - she just had no idea this party was in place - and while she was opening the gifts, gratitude just poured out of her. She kept telling us how thankful she was for all of us and how grateful she was. But we had to stop and remind her how grateful we were to have her here, and healthy and celebrating another baby!

After presents it was time for dessert! I got cupcakes from Konditor Meister, and for those who didn't feel like cupcakes, I had chopped up some fresh berries and layered them with cool whip as a refreshing alternative.

And as an extra sweet treat, I got to meet Celia, my cousin Melissa's new baby girl! She's a wonderful little baby and wasn't bothered at all by the party! Here she is with Melissa's mother, my auntie Jo:

Everyone relaxed for a bit and nibbled up dessert, but then, too soon - it was time for everyone to leave. For favors, I got cute little onesie cookies from TSCookies on etsy!

It was a great day, and I'm so happy and honored that I could do this for Betsy and Ryan. Thank you to everyone who came and shared the day with us!

Happy Second Anniversary!

2011-10-31T09:00:00.008-04:00

I can't believe how fast 2 years of marriage have flown by. And to think that in a couple more months, it will be 7 years that Mike and I have been together. I don't think I've ever even kept a cat that long.

Every day as I drive to work, I inevitably mutter, "I can't believe it's only Tuesday (or Wednesday, Thursday, etc.)." Each day seems to drag on eternally, trapped behind a desk or a Volvo in traffic. When I finally make it home, it's like someone switched me over from soak to the spin cycle. I work on stationery orders, then attempt to sneak in some treasured couch-potato time with Mike (unless he's working on hanging-the-new-garage-door-openers-time), and then it's already time for bed.

Life can go by in a blur and all I try to do is grab a hold of little moments and hang on for dear life. What I've realized, more and more, is I want those little moments to be bigger moments, and my resolution for this upcoming year is to start putting plans in place to make that happen.

I've also resolved for us to go on a fantastic vacation in the upcoming year ahead - somewhere we've never been before that we can discover together. And to grow the business even further, possibly by expanding into new printing techniques. Of course, this list is in no particular order :)

Happy Halloween everyone - today, is a day for ghosts and ghouls, candy and costumes. But it is also a day of reflection, when we look back on the all-to-short summer and prepare for the impending winter. It is the Day of the Dead, so take a moment to remember those who are no longer with us, hold the hand of someone you love, and capture your own little moment!

Living Room: Artwork

2011-10-28T09:00:00.007-04:00

Finding artwork for the living room was a struggle. We have this one expansive wall that's broken up by a high, thin, contemporary-looking window (my favorite thing in the house, actually) which creates a really awkward space.

For months I looked for just the right piece. Well, really, pieces, since originally I was envisioning multiple metal scupltures or mirrors...or something to fill up these walls. The trick was, buying multiples of anything gets expensive, and I didn't want to shell out too much for art when I might hate it in a month.

I had been drifting toward some kind of piece with a coral motif. Either a metal sculpture of coral branches, or large canvases of coral x-ray prints. I had fallen in love with something I had seen on an episode of Property Brothers, but alas, even I, the Google Queen, couldn't track the pieces down. My father is in manufacturing, so for a moment I thought of just designing something to have fabricated in metal - but that seemed like a lot of work when I wasn't one hundred percent sure of what I wanted, so it was back to the drawing board.

Mike was getting antsy to get something up there, I could tell. Because Mike never gets antsy. He's the King of Calm. So when he asked one weekend if we were ever going to put anything up on those blank walls we stared at every night while watching TV, all I could say was that I was "working on it."

But truthfully? I hadn't gotten very far. I'm not sure if all of you know - if you've followed my blog thus far, I may have mentioned it, but I'm a commitment-phobe. I know hanging up some artwork isn't exactly permanent - you can take it right down after all - but for me it's different. All I can think of is, if I don't like it, there's money down the drain, and I have to find something else. And then, if I don't like where it's hanging, that means a hole in the wall that's a b*tch to cover up. Ever try to paint over a patch? You end up with this little section of wall that, even though it's painted the same color, when the light hits it, looks completely different. We have phantom paint halos all over the place now because of patch jobs. And yes, I am that anal about some things.

However, I've found that the best things come to you when you aren't looking for them (hello fantastic husband and nearly-fantastic house!) so I let the Great Artwork Search of 2011 slide for a bit. That's when my mother and I dropped into my local HomeGoods and took a stroll through the clearance aisle.

I saw this large, black canvas poking out from behind a marked-down mirror and gently tugged it out into the aisle. I was a little in love with it at first sight. Instantly I recognized the coral branch silhouette, and was digging all the swirling colors. Yeah, they weren't the exact colors I had going on, but big deal, right? It had a nice gray base behind the oil-on-the-surface-of-a-puddle paint treatment, and we all know how I feel about gray. "If only there were another one so I could have a pair," I thought, and kept on my way down the aisle, throwing a disappointed, furtive glance back at the canvas.

To my happy astonishment, when I got to the end of the aisle, I saw another black canvas corner sticking out from behind some awful French-country piece (with roses as big as my head and 3-dimensional parts sticking out), and tugged that one out to the aisle as well. My mother and I proceeded to make everyone attempting to come down the clearance art aisle wish they hadn't for the next 20 minutes as I paced in front of the two large canvases. But you know - we're never the impolite people in HomeGoods. Never. We're always the "get out of the way even if it means throwing yourself into a row of comforters" type. So honestly, I was ok with being rude for a few minutes if it meant I was bringing much-needed artwork home with me.

The canvases were on clearance for $40 each, so for well under $100 I could bring these beauties home with me. I called Mike to see what he thought, and he thought I should bring them home. Because we all know (too well) the rule with HomeGoods; If you see it, buy it, because it won't be there tomorrow. And after just having lost out on the perfect set of green chairs for the guest room because I took a night to think about it, the canvases came home with us.

I think Mike raised an eyebrow when he first pulled them out of my car, but as soon as we hung them on the wall it was perfection:

The neat part about the second one is that it has a hidden heart in the design:

Now, I know these probably aren't everyone's cup of tea, but the more I look at them, the more I love them. And for the price, you couldn't even buy blank canvases that cheap!

The other two walls (on the dining room side) are eventually getting torn out, so I don't want to put anything on them because I wouldn't want to fall in love with some photo frame gallery I whipped up or oh-so-perfect art piece I found that will just end up coming down altogether next year. But I did rescue a round mirror from our recent (successful!) yard sale, and hung that up on the opposite wall near the entry way:

That wall really needed something - and since I bought this mirror 7 years ago, I'm considering it a freebie. Plus, it's nice to check your hair/makeup/etc. on the way out the door.

So that wraps up my week-long series on the progress happening in the living room! Stay tuned next week for a recap of the baby shower I threw recently, including a fun giveaway for any of you mothers-to-be out there!

Living Room: Curtains

2011-10-27T09:00:00.005-04:00

I had been working on the living room curtains for a lot longer than anticipated. I think for a solid 2 months, I only had one panel hanging up. But at least it was one pretty panel. :)

I was just completely burnt out on making curtains after all the ones I did for the bedroom and guest room - not to mention all the other little sewing jobs like pillows and shams, etc. But I knew I had to get both the living and dining rooms curtains done by the first weekend in October because one, I was planning a surprise baby party for my cousin and one curtain hanging up wasn't going to cut it, and two - not only was all the fabric, lining and grommets sitting around in my sewing room - everything had already been cut. I was really out of excuses.

And you know what? If I knew that curtains could make everything so much better (and I'm talking life in general here) I would've done them months ago. Sometimes I get bogged down by all the house projects and my one...two...three(?!) jobs, I forget that something as small as hanging up a set of curtains can make the world fall away a little. Instantly, you see a change. Instantly, you see progress. And for someone who feels like they are just treading water most days, progress is a good thing.

Apologies in advance for the first shot here - my camera doesn't handle bright windows well...

I had a shop card from Crate & Barrel left over from when I returned all these plum Marimekko sheet sets months ago, so we purchased the modern, brushed nickel rods using that (making them almost free, ha!). Originally I was going to make the sheet sets into curtains, but didn't like the look once we bought the house, so I opted for this modern print from Ikea instead:

You'll see this fabric pop up again soon!

For the tops, I decided on grommets - I used the large Dritz ones that you can find at Joanns (although I got a better deal on them at Create For Less, online).

Mike had to handle the grommets for me - they were tricky to pop together and keep together, but otherwise really easy to use. I really, really didn't want to get into any fancy pinch-pleating (as much as I love it!) or anything more complicated for these - just kept it simple, clean, and modern.

Granted, I probably should've done 4 panels total, 2 on each side, for a window this wide. But we have no intention of ever closing them, so really they just frame the window. The best thing about living in the middle of nowhere is not having shades and drapes block any light coming into the house!