Do It Yourself Wedding, Chapter 1: "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" and Save the Dates

I know in the last post announcing my engagement, I said I would try to keep the topics diverse and not go totally bridalicious on this blog. However, I am going to break that promise with the first post to follow. I'm sorry.

Planning a wedding on a budget can prove challenging; but I have also found it to be really fun thus far because so many of the things I'm doing or want to do are going to be created either by me or by people I love. I am officially addicted to the Style Me Pretty wedding blog, because it is a sheer eye candy with a lot of inspiration in between. And wouldn't you know it, they have an entire section devoted to DIY.

D.I.Y.

Those letters are going to be my mantra during the wedding planning process. Here's how I've done thus far.

First project up was asking my bridesmaids to be in the wedding. This was an important decision to me and every girl was chosen for a very specific and special reason. So, I wanted to make them feel special when they opened their envelope, and wanted to have it in keeping with a "formal" invitation to be in the wedding party.

I found this amazing little idea while researching ways to ask a bridesmaid to be a bridesmaid from Once Wed (another fabulous wedding idea website).


Here's my result. The girl who originated the idea did a better job, but I can say firsthand I had a lot of fun doing it myself!

Items used: 

-Construction paper (hair color, skin color, dress color... which didn't actually match the real dress color :)

-Glue Stick. A throwback to third grade! You could also use Spray Mount if you're a bit more crafty.

-Cardstock for information card, with a few fun fonts

-Any relevant info the ladies will need to get their bridesmaid process started.

I think one of the most fun parts was creating the hairstyles to "match" the ladies... out of construction paper!

I also decided that my Save the Dates would be handmade. To me, Save the Dates set a certain tone for the wedding, giving those you invite a sneak peek to the event to come. Since my wedding is going to be at a family farm that is very near and dear to my heart, I wanted to incorporate that into the Save the Dates.

I also love when people send magnets that you can put on your fridge and throw away the big card... so I  added that element too.




After a lot of formatting via Microsoft Word (mine ended up being an A4 size, so I should have started with that template from the beginning), I made a design with some more fun fonts. (DaFont is my go-to site for free downloadable fonts). Then I bought some Ecru cardstock in bulk and cut it in half to make it go further. Notice there are some hash marks in the middle of the card; that's for the magnets

I then took a picture I had of the farm, and Photoshopped it to look vintage.

Then I used Photoshop once more to put my favorite Bible verse (Joshua 24:15, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord") on the magnet, as well as our names and the wedding date-- so the magnet would have all the info guests may need, and they could chunk the card. I also liked that the verse coincided with the picture of the house.

I should mention here that I am by no means a Photoshop pro; I had to Google almost every aspect of "how to" (insert font, blur picture, etc.) but eventually, after a lot of playing, was able to achieve the look I wanted.

I printed this picture in rows in word, formatting a table with the dimensions I wanted for the magnet.  I stuck them on blank adhesive business card magnets from an office supply store (only $22 for 100 magnets here), and, my Save the Date magnet was born.

The last step was using an Xacto knife to cut slits on the printed hash marks, and sit the magnet into the card. The final result:

I know I can't spend this much time on every aspect of the wedding, but this was some fun crafting for the not-so-crafty girl!

I Do

I am so grateful.  

September 24, 2011, I'm marrying a very great man. We are saying our vows in a place close to my heart. 

I will try to keep the blog topics away from all things wedding, but it will probably be a hot topic here for awhile. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jer. 29:11 

Now Is the Time to Help.

We are reeling in Alabama. 

On April 27, 2011 more than 118 tornadoes ripped through our state and the region, leaving a path of destruction that renders me speechless.

  There have been a lot of wonderful things I am looking forward to posting about, but today just doesn't seem the time. These events have turned the premise of my little blog on it's head. Everything I want this blog to be about--the "lovely" and "delightful" seem so.... menial. At the moment.

We will get back to things that are lovely; right now, however, is the time to help.

. 

http://widgets.causes.com/causes/608753-alabama-tornado-relief

Or for more options, click here:

http://magiccitypost.com/2011/04/27/tornadoes-kill-dozens-across-alabama-now-is-the-time-to-help/

"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." 1 Kings 19:11-12

Present Ideas for Dad--or, the Man Who Has Everything

My dad is wonderful... but extremely difficult to shop for come birthday or holiday time. He's the, "Just give me a picture, I don't need anything" man and honestly... he's right. If he wants something, more than likely he's already purchased it for himself.

But that doesn't stop me from trying to surprise him. I'm getting a little unconventional after 30 years of doing this. Last year I gave him the Who's Your Daddy? Doggie DNA Kit for our family mutt. That was a fun one.

So if you are like me and are endlessly searching for a creative gift for a man in your life, here's one I just completed that was a blast to create.

I stumbled on Giverslog's entry called "Rootbeer Tour for Dad." I thought it was a great concept; unfortunately for me, however, my dad is not a fan of root beer.
But he's a fan of BEER beer!

So I took these blank printable labels and customized them to my Dad's personality:

 













Then hit a local market that carries specialty beer (and stood in the aisle for about 30 minutes, completely overwhelmed at the selection. I know nothing about beer... so I ended up going for bottles that had labels I thought were "pretty.")


Used some twine, and attached the labels to each bottle and put a little sparkly "grass" in a ice bucket and voila: A little fun for Dad besides the go-to presents of socks and golf tees!

Prettying Up the Standard Envelope

Jane Austen's writing desk

Handwriting things-- anything-- just makes things so much more personal. I'll be the first to admit that I find pounding out words on the keyboard a lot easier than putting pen to paper, but there's just something instantly endearing about seeing words transcribed in script. The writer gives the reader an idea of their unique style in a way that just seems more intimate than Times New Roman.

Meant to Be Calligraphy

So, I try to hand-write things as often as possible. The ladies of my life have taught me to always send handwritten thank you notes. And even though it's tedious, I still longhand my journal as well. Because going back and reading my own (albeit very illegible) script a week or a decade later is a little more thrilling that way.

I loved the ideas I found on lettergirl's blog. I mailed three cards this week and took a certain satisfaction knowing that amongst bills and catalogs, my recipients would find happy envelopes like this:

Flowers for the girls...

Stars for the boys

Metallic silver, gold, and white pens are great for colored envelopes

All this takes is a Bic pen and a steady hand!

Visit her Etsy store here: lettergirl on Etsy

Valentine's Day Goes Digital

 

Gone are the days when "e-card" meant animated bunny rabbits and midi music files that sounded like a kazoo.  

In this digital age, e-cards have gotten very stylish, and can be a great little way to let someone know you're thinking of them. I just ran across this post from Oh Joy! and had to share.

Kate Spade has a fabulous array of Valentine e-cards just waiting to spread love all across the Internet. It's called  

"BMINE- A Gallery of E-Valentines"  

and for real.... they are super cute.

Go ahead, get you some brownie points with your Honey: 
Find your perfect e-valentine here!

Move Over, Martha, We're Making Bread Dip & Labels

I'm always looking for a thoughtful yet budget-friendly gift for friends who host dinners or maybe just need a little "happy" added to their day.

Here's a great little suggestion: Make a bread dipping oil (YUM), put it in a Mason jar, and add these oh-so-cute labels. Most of the work has already been done!

Download and print the labels by clicking here.

(Don't forget the cute labels for the top of the jar!)

Here's your recipe:

 

This great little recipe comes from Chatelaine, and seen on the always lovely Giverslog.