just around the riverbend weddings

Hard decision

2009-08-17T23:24:00.001-07:00

This post has been really difficult for me to write. It has taken a couple of weeks, and some serious thought. This blog was started as a way for Anna and myself to share information about our upcoming weddings. Since Anna has decided to no longer blog on this site I also think I will move on, as it is weird to think about blogging on here alone.

If anyone is interested in following my journey down the aisle, you can follow me here: (Somewhat) Crafty Wedding

Thanks for taking me this far, Just Around the Riverbend, you've been good to me...

pausing

2009-07-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Anna here...
Taking a break from the blog (maybe short, maybe prolonged). People that are really involved in my wedding have started reading the blog, which is wonderful. However, at the same time, I want a lot of things to be a surprise, so I'm scaling back. This has been a wonderful place to test ideas over the last year. In the last month we've made some dramatic changes to our plans, and I am pretty sure I will be walking the last miles of the journey without the blogosphere!

Good luck on hunting for a home, Mandie!

365...

2009-07-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

We've reached the one year mark until our wedding! Woohoo!

I can't say that I'm always pleased about our extra long engagement, it can be really hard. Often I find myself thinking, what's the point? It's just a wedding right? But then I make myself think, it's not just a wedding, it's an entrance to our marriage. And it's a celebration that is important to our families and friends, and they are important to us. Plus, in two weeks we will have a pre-approval for a mortgage and will be looking to buy our first home. By extending our engagement we spread out payments, yay! Trying to stay positive, but sometimes it's still hard.

Moving on... You HAVE to check out this beautiful gorgeous-ness that I found today!

All images from Justin and Mary photography

Ummm, can I say how in love with the all the yellow I am?

DIY complete!

2009-07-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Jessica, my post loyal reader ;) Love you

If you remember from my last post I showed you an ugly yellow candlestick. What did I manage to do with it? (Successfully I might add :) )

Dun dun duh... I give you, a cake stand!

Okay, it was really quite easy and there is no need for the dramatics I've been giving it, but it was one of my very first solid DIY projects and I love how it came out!

Step one: Wash plate and stand
Step two: Test it out and see roughly where you'd like to glue it.
Step three: Put a ring of glue on the bottom of plate
Because I had just washed the candlestick it left a small water ring when I put it on the plate to test where I wanted it, so I followed that with the glue. Note: The glue is called Weldbond, it's a strong glue meant for ceramics.

Step four: Place book or other object on top of candlestick to help it bond better.
Step five: Let sit.
Step six: Enjoy your handiwork
Me showing how bonded it is now.

It's hard to see in the pictures, but there is a faint ring of yellow around the edges of this plate.

Other things to note: I just went to Goodwill and bought plates and other things that might work for stands. This plate is a good dinner size, but small for a cake stand so I have been keeping my eyes open for other, larger plates. I also wasn't super exact about being perfectly in the middle of the bottom of the plate, but it worked out okay anyway.

Anyway, boring but I'm excited about them. I have a couple more plates and stands, but now that I know it's super easy to do, I'm going to put them aside for now, they are easier to store as they are now!

DIY experiment

2009-07-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today I went with a friend to pick up the supplies for one of the first of my (hopefully) many DIY projects. Here is a teaser:

On it's own, a slightly ugly yellow candlestick. But together with some other supplies...?

You'll have to wait and see :)

(Man, I hope this project works, if not, I apologize in advance for having to wait and hear about my failures)

I love me some Ikea

2009-07-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

So after my registry brainstorming, Ikea suddenly popped into my brain. "Do they do registries?!" because there is so much stuff I would get there. As soon as I got home from work (yes, I constantly have weddings on the mind) I checked. They don't do registries, but I did find lots of other good stuff! I think I will be heading there on Sunday to pick some of this stuff up :D

First, if I was doing a candy buffet as I had originally wanted, I would use these:
The Burken Jar. The largest size is $3.99 and will hold just over 4 pounds of candy. There are two smaller sizes (17oz for 1.99 and 37 for 2.99) if you want to mix up the sizes.

There is also the Slom jar
This one is 61 oz is 3.99 and will hold almost 4 pounds. There is a 68 oz for the same price, but, well, it has an oddly phallic shape...

Then I found these bottle openers:
The 'Charm bottle opener'. For 0.99 a piece, these could make awfully cute favors, and are much cuter than some other sketchy bottle openers I've seen.

These actually caught my eye in the weekly circular they sent out last week
The Tripp tins. These are 7.99 (for all 3) and the other set...
...is 2.99. I will have to admit that the first thing I thought was, how cute would these be as floral arrangement containers? But I'm sure they could be used for other things. I would use the green and yellow from both sets, but would probably find another use for the orange...

I also love these Marit placemats
And for 0.99 a piece these would be cute as pops of color under arrangements. But I think I will pick some of these up just for my own personal use right now. I love love love the green.

I have also been a little obsessed with cake stands lately and the idea of maybe creating my own. Then I found this plate, the Fargrik.
The largest of them is 3.99 and I was thinking I could use the matching bowl as a stand. Or something else, haven't figured that part out yet. Much cheaper than buying a jadeite cake stand.

Last but not least I found these Wilma curtains.
While they are sheer. But at $9.99 for a pack of two, these would make delightful table runners.

I have to come to the acceptance that the greens I'm going to use aren't necessarily going to match. But that's okay, but I love lots of shades of green. I found most of these things by going to the Ikea website and searching for 'green'. They also have some adorable fabrics and other things. The placemats, curtains, and plate all come in other colors which is why I included their names. If you want to check them out, just search the name on the website.

Anyone else wish that Ikea had a registry option? Or does anyone else want to run to the store and check out what they have, right now-ish?

Shopping for others

2009-07-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

It's a busy summer for me in terms of weddings. I attended a wedding last month, I'll be going to another in a couple of weeks, and I'll be buying a gift for my parents to take when they go to my cousins wedding in August. It's been an interesting look at the registry aspect of weddings. All three of the couples registered at both Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It seems to be a trend.

Looking through the registries got me thinking about where we are going to register and what we would register for. Personally, I think the idea of registering is kind of weird, I have always hated telling people that I want things (personal issue, obviously). Registries just seem kind of selfish to me, putting out for the world what you want them to buy for you. I know that it is so that people who love you can support you and the building of your home and life together. But it just makes me feel weird.

It makes me think about where we are going to register (because despite my weirdness about it, it's an expected part of the wedding that I'm not going to shirk... ) My mom suggested Macy's but I can't see myself asking people to spend for stuff from Macy's. I've considered Kohl's, but their merchandise changes so often. I have looked into those websites where people can contribute to your honeymoon, but they often charge people on top of what they are gifting). What does that leave us with? BB&B, Target. I'm also considering Amazon, but I don't want that to be the only registry because it will then require shipping costs.

Are there are places that people have registered? And how far out are couples 'expected' to register?

Reversal

2009-07-08T00:07:00.000-07:00

A snippet of conversation:

Me: ::sigh:: I can't wait for our honeymoon, can we skip everything else?
Mr F: No! I'm excited for the wedding!

That one had me giggling because I so often feel like I'm the one who is trying to create excitement about the wedding. Apparently he has it, he just needs me to want to give up everything and elope before he'll show it? Silly boy.

Holy Frijoles

2009-07-07T18:59:00.001-07:00

It's cheap to book a vacation in Mexico right now!

~Anna

Engage-aversary

2009-07-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

Mr F and I got back last night from a week of family vacation with my family in California. Needless to say I was not ultra excited to be back in the clouds or back at work. Le sigh.

But yesterday marked an important day for us... it was our 1 year Engage-aversary! I can't believe we have been engaged for a whole year, it seems like so much has happened, but that it can't have been a year yet. Isn't time a weird thing? It's also funny because we have already been engaged a lot longer than a lot of people we know and still have a while to wait.

Our next big day we have coming up is the 1 year countdown to the wedding day (2 weeks!).

on the cheap

2009-07-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hi it's me, Anna. Once again, I am on the quest to save lots of money.

I met with a recently married couple who had their wedding at the Boathouse, just like we will. If you can chat with another couple who used your venue, do it. It's so worth it. You get the full *honest* report of what is actually realistic for that location. I feel so much better now.

A few things:

We are having a dessert, hors d'oeuvre, and wine reception so there is minimal cooking involved. I haven't picked out a caterer yet, but a bakery will most likely suffice (even for the finger food). However, for those that are wanting a full meal but can't afford the catering company, I really recommend this site.

I am also trying to DIY as many of our decorations as possible. However, I am not super crafty (nor do I have much time), so I am also trying to get things that will be easy to assemble. Enter in Efavormart, the best kept secret on the web. Really. So cheap and so easy.

I am starting to think about bridesmaids dresses (Mandie--we seem to be intersecting here). We are 8.5 months away from the wedding (OH MY GOD!!! OHMYGODOHMYGOD). In September, at the 6 month mark, I am going to formally invite my gals to be in the bridal party... (they all pretty much know that they are going to be involved). Because these wonderful women are just as busy as I am, I want to make their time participating in this project enjoyable. So, I am starting to shop around now. Here are two dresses from Nordstrom's that I really like:

Last but not least, we are boiling down to two decisions:

-We are most likely going to have a dear friend officiate our wedding.

-We are honeymooning either immediately in Mexico (Guadalajara) or a few months after the wedding in Portugal. Honeymoons are so exciting that they make me want to elope!

~Anna

progress?

2009-06-26T09:15:00.001-07:00

A little less than 9 months from the wedding. Here's what I have completed:

-Dress
-Venue

Here is what is left:

-Wedding party
-Music
-Food
-Officiant
-Decorations
-Invitations
-Save the dates

and on... and on... and on...

Take away messages:

I finish graduate school in 6 weeks. Maybe I should just stop trying to do this while I am a student.

Exciting updates:
-Fiance and I are both working! Both employed! And they are actually jobs we really enjoy. So we will actually be able to afford a *budget* wedding. And not live in a box. Yes!

-Tomorrow we're signing the lease for this gorgeous condo we're renting for the next year.

So, in summation, I feel fortunate right now. Sometimes I worry that this wedding will never get planned because I seem to be a work-aholic in every OTHER area of my life, but I keep telling myself that nine months is plenty of time. Right? Minus 6 weeks. So, more like seven months. Uh, maybe I need to hurry up and delegate...

~Anna

I have a problem

2009-06-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

I was at a friends wedding yesterday (which was inspiration galore) but there was another guest there who was wearing the most adorable dress. So with a glass or two of wine in me I approached her and asked where she had gotten it. Turns out that this is a Calvin Klein dress she had purchased at TJ Maxx but she knew they had them on Overstock.com. Today I checked it out and I am officially in love with Calvin Klein sundresses.

How gorgeous would my ladies look in different CK dresses in one color?
This was the dress the girl was wearing (she had it in a beautiful butter yellow) and I love the pistachio color

And there are more beauties!

If I decide to make yellow a more prominent color I love this dress, it would flatter so many shapes. And it has pockets!

While I love the kelly green, it's too green for our palette, but I have been looking for a good brown dress...

Apricot is one of our secondary colors, and I love the brown too. Could I maybe have all my girls in different colors? And box pleats are adorable and flattering!

Love the style and casualness of this dress. Have I mentioned I have been obsessed with yellow recently?
These were all found on Overstock.com and they are all under $90 and they have all the elements I want in a bridesmaids dress: adorableness, flattering features, affordability, and rewearability!

Here are some more dresses I found searching the web:

David's bridal (who I'm trying to avoid because their bridesmaids dresses LOOK like bridesmaid dresses)

J Crew, who doesn't love J Crew? But they are so much more expensive than I want to ask the girls to spend...

More J Crew, I love this dress actually. I kind of want to get it for me.

Anyway, my plan is to (eventually) pick my bridesmaids and weigh all the options out with them and get their opinions because, well, I have smart, sassy friends.

And now for something completely different

2009-06-18T00:17:00.001-07:00

One of the cds I play during naptime at work is a mix of Jack Johnson. I love it. You can really only play "Tender Lullabies" so many times without going crazy... I love to sing along to Jack and his simple yet beautiful songs.

A couple always catch my ear and make me wonder how I can incorporate them into the wedding. He sings of such sweet, tender love that it makes me so happy and excited.

[Verse 1:]
There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard,
No song that I could sing
But I can try for your heart,
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things,
Like a shoebox of photographs,
With sepiatone loving,
Love is the answer
At least for most of the questions in my heart,
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy,
And sometimes life can be deceiving,
I'll tell you one thing,
its always better when we're together

[Chorus:]
Mmm, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together
Source and rest of lyrics

Can you imagine this as the first dance song? I don't want the typical slow, sway song... I love that it has a little beat that is a little bit different.

I also love Do You Remember:

Well, I was crazy about you then and now
The craziest thing of all, over ten years have gone by
And you're still mine, we're locked in time
Let's rewind

New wedding time waster

2009-06-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, this new program is awesome. I'm excited... It's called Springpad.

There is a Wedding Planner feature and it is so cool. And it's free! There is an invite manager, and you can upload contacts from facebook and from gmail that way you don't have to type all your contacts in individually. There's a task list which isn't ridiculous like The Knot list which has tons of miscellaneous crap on it. It's basic and you can add or subtract easily. You can set a 'complete by date'. There is a vendor category with suggested vendors that are in your area. There is an idea area where you can put all your ideas, and you can note stuff like the old Google notebook which doe not exist anymore. And there's a budget area.

Can you tell I'm pretty excited? I found all this just in the few minutes I've clicked around. It seems pretty easy too!

visual?

2009-06-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

Mom and I were talking about reception things and have decided that we may need to rethink the color scheme because (and this sounds ridiculously bride-zilla-y) the green paint of the reception space clashes with the green that we had chosen to be one of our main colors.

One option is that we don't change the color scheme, we just limit the amount that is in the reception space and use it a lot more outside. Problem with this is that I really don't want all chocolate linens because I think it will be too dark for a summer wedding. So I suggested using half chocolate tablecloths and half different patterned tablecloths that incorporate all the different colors.

My mom just cannot picture this, and thinks it will look odd.

I think it will look fantastic, refreshing, and fun.

A la these pictures:

Source

Source

Plus I think it will tone down the formality of having a summer Saturday night wedding.

Who is right? Who has more visual style, Mom or me?

summer again

2009-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Garden party.

~Anna

Meet our venue!

2009-06-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

After an extensive, and frankly, ridiculous venue search we have decided on our venue.

Meet the Fairgate Inn.

We loved this venue. When I asked Mister F what his top two favorites were he said "Fairgate" and? "Fairgate". So that settled it, Mister F was in love and I was as well as I pictured English country garden, vintage beautifulness.

I'm so excited. I know that there are probably other places that are "better" than this one, but just walking through here made me so happy and so excited. I'm having a bit of a hard time letting the venue search go though, I'm constantly thinking about it. I need a new task...

We are going to have a meeting with the wedding coordinator soon to set and finalize the contract and wedding date.

Yikes

2009-06-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Just a little pet peeve. I know folks mean well, but it's ridiculous when a minor acquaintance is trying to become the wedding planner. Um, can we just go back to being two people who had a casual working relationship? Thanks.

-Anna

Venue visit #8

2009-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Ma, Mister F and I went to visit one last venue. I forgot my camera and Mister F's was dead so we have the wonderful photos from the camera phone! (We think quick on our feet) Not the best quality, but you get the idea. I also stole a fee photos from the website, shhhhh don't tell.

Lewis River Golf Course

We really liked the rustic simplicity of it and we liked how free we were to choose where we put everything. And the view and location were pretty spectacular.

We have FINALLY decided on a venue. Eight venue visits later, I hope this is the toughest decision we have to make because WHEW it has been exhausting!

The venue we chose was one of the last two I visited... the Fairgate Inn and this one (Lewis River). Even though we only have like 6 readers and a few of you (due to facebook) already know which one we picked, I still want a tiny element of surprise considering this has been such a huge thing for us... I'm going to leave all 4 of you hanging until tomorrow when I announce our wedding venue and date :D

Le sigh

2009-06-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

These are the only reason I would even consider having our wedding in late May, early June. These are so beautiful and easy to put together.

Fresh from our backyard... peonies!!

love love love

While they wont be at our wedding, at least they are sitting on my kitchen table

inspirations from my life

2009-06-08T22:14:00.001-07:00

I am about to embark upon a really challenging summer. Just when I need to take a break. But I was browsing through my photos, and I'll share a few that are inspiring me to keep going. Fiance has an interview tomorrow for a position that could really help us. No matter what, I love him. That's what this is all about!

~Anna

More free cuteness!

2009-06-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

How cute are these napkin wraps?

Download the template and instructions from Style Me Pretty

Another Venue Visit today

2009-06-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

We're doing another venue visit today kind of informally because the event coordinator there wouldn't be able to meet with us until the end of this month (I was a little shocked at that...) After we go there I want to make a decision about our decided venue, so check back later for the photos of this venue and (hopefully) our decided venue!

But I've been looking back through a lot of my inspiration photos lately so I thought I'd share some of those as a change of pace. These give a rough idea of what has been inspiring me lately and what I hope our wedding will feel like.

What I was going to originally going to post

2009-06-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

VistaPrint is running a huge sale right now (although if you get the emails like me, it seems like they are always running a huge sale...) but there is one thing (ok, more than one thing) that I wish I could take advantage of.

FREE customized Rubber Stamp! All you have to pay is shipping.

I like the free options and I think they would be perfect for printing the return addresses on our invitations. The reason I don't feel like now is the time to be ordering this is because F and I are planning to buy a home together in the next couple of months and so when that time comes I will want to have the invitations returned to that address.

But I still want it :)

They are also offering 140 return address for free as well. They have 4604 designs of return labels to choose from!

And, they are offering 100 standard sized (5.47" x 4.21") postcards for free (FREE!). It would be perfect for save the dates. You do have to pay $3.74 as a one time fee to upload your own images if you want to or you can choose to use one of their designs (they have 2229 of them...)

Here is what I came up with.

This was the original design:

Here is how I customized it:

Just within this design you could change the colors, fonts, sizes and placement of everything. Vistaprint is so easy to use. I mean, soooo easy.

To get 100 of these postcards (with full color front and greyscale postcard style back) can cost as little as $6.71 (!) depending on how quickly you want them to come. That is like $0.6 a card.

Another deal I wish I could take advantage of right now...

They are also offering a free tote bags and discounts if you order more than one, which I think could be a great gift for a couple you know getting married or maybe as bridesmaids gifts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok that probably just sounded like a huge ad for VistaPrint, but I just want so many things and can have none, so I hope someone benefits from these.

100 posts!!

2009-06-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Source

We've made it to 100 posts! I was going to post something else, but I think I'll do a little background on the blog. Anna and I were living together when we both got engaged last July. We knew we wanted to stay in contact about wedding plans while I moved away from the amazing city we were living in to do my Europe thing and Anna stayed to work incredibly hard on her Master's degree.

I think we started this blog last August? A lot of things have changed for both of us since then and it's nice to have had this blog to document it all.

Post #99

2009-06-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Mandie! We're almost to 100... isn't that amazing?

Just a post-script on my last wedding update. It was really nice to see somebody else praising the simplicity and elegance of the JCrew dress that I will be wearing at my wedding.

This weekend, I am stopping by the place where dreams are strangled by corporate megalomaniacs, er, David's Bridal, to pick up a dark plum sash for my midsection. I do, however, really enjoy the broach they used to style it for this magazine photo:

~Anna

tids and bits

2009-06-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Only one week away from our Great Gatsby-themed engagement party! I am so fabulously excited!

In other news:

-Fiance is graduating in just a couple days with his Master's degree
-I finished a large chunk of my research, and I am ready to follow in his footsteps this August (it's official--I applied and set the date for my defense!)
-We both have solid leads on incredible jobs up here in the town we really do not want to leave
-It's been 90 degrees lately, and the other night we visited our venue and looked out at the boats and swooned for awhile (even though we won't have that weather for our wedding... at least I hope we don't because that would be bad news for the environment)
-Oh! We are pretty much committed to an invitation! The story:

I was shocked when Fiance enthusiastically pointed to an invitation example in one of my Jewish wedding books. The text reads (in Hebrew) "Ani l'dodi v'dodi li" which means "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine" (Song of Songs). I was like okay... um, I love this, but really? And we decided really. So the invitations are going to be really beautiful. I don't have the design ready to share yet, but the front has two pine trees in green against a purple background (our colors) and the text runs across the top. On the bottom is our date. Inside will be all of the details, which will be succint because I refuse to be one of those people who spends 80 hours on making the invitations. I am pursuing a career and I don't have time for that!

-I am furiously reading books on interfaith ceremonies because I just know we will end up having to write our own. There is wonderful stuff out there, but this process takes a lot of time. The ceremony is more important to us than the reception, so it will be the focus of quite a bit of effort.
-One more note on the invitations. We are having an informal lunch the day before we get married. It will be Mexican food. We met in Mexcio... so there is the connection. Guests who are invited to this will get a little insert with the info printed on the back of a Loteria card (el corazon to be exact). I thought of this and I am proud of myself for squeezing out just a little creativity!

Well, I am busy finishing school and learning copious amounts of civil rights law in preparation for my job this summer. Still, I feel very blessed that Fiance and I are still able to do things together (like kayaking and eating good food), and I am incredibly amazed at how much more I am able to fit into my days.

We'll see what happens from here! That's my life motto these days.

~Anna

The top contender

2009-06-05T01:25:00.000-07:00

I'm watching My Best Friend's Wedding and I was inspired to finish what I started... (Have I mention that I love bad TV and movies? I Confess.) Warning, lots of text and pictures... I got excited!

You may (or may not, I don't judge) have read in my last post that I have visited many a venue with an array of different people (F, ma, dad). One of the sites we visited last weekend quickly became our favorite. I'll show you pictures and explain why. Meet The Fairgate Inn.

These are pictures from their website:

The Inn from the front

At the end of the night

The ceremony site, a beautiful gazebo

Which can then turn into the dancing area!

Reception area all decked out (chairs not included, unfortunately)

The deal with this place is that it is an Inn that you rent out and everything is on site.

These are pictures of the 'conservatory' where receptions are held. I love the dark floors, the vaulted ceilings, the green walls (to go with our color scheme?).

My mother would die if she knew I was putting this up

F wore his most grown up outfit, Ghostbusters tee and plaid shorts. Silly.

Grand entrance!

Gorgeous chandeliers

Archway I will walk through with my Fajah (yes, this is a real word! From Urban Dictionary: How the dutch or one with a dutch accent say the word "Father. So there.) The wedding coordinator (Stacey) said that by summer this will be completely covered in flowers and greenery.

Tent the guests will sit under. Ma is not sure she likes this, but I think it's smart because it's bound to be ridiculously hot on a July evening). PLUS! Stacey said this can be turned into a space for dancing in the evening, it opens right off the reception area. And I can hang up lights or Chinese lanterns, or other beautiful things....

Ceremony gazebo, it will have seasonal flowers all over it

Other pictures of the site:

Things we love about it:
- Wedding planning included
- Lots of dates still available
- Only one wedding scheduled per weekend
- You rent out the rooms of the Inn and they provide the guests with a snack in the evening (and any remaining alcohol) and then a full breakfast in the morning.
- Just about everything is included: wedding coordinator, tables, linens, plates, utensils, bartenders, waitstaff, set-up, take-down, parking lot and attendants, Stacey said they even have vases and anything else that we may need to borrow (or as she put it, "after 9 years, we have stuff")
- They offer more time there on the day than any other place I've looked at
- I love being able to open it all up to our guests, but everyone still remains close
- Dancing outside under a tent? Gorgeous.
- Room for a kick-ass "kids" room. My little brother (who will be 17) and my little cousins (all in their teens) will probably get bored, so I'm thinking xbox, rockband, DDR, energy drinks etc etc

Things I don't like:
- The cost. It's a few thousand (!!) more than I wanted to spend. I know my parents would be more than willing to make up the difference, but I hate to ask them to do that. On the other hand, this is where we're planning on spending around 80% of our budget.
- The reception chairs. I know this is picky, but that it really all I don't like... and I'm think big ovesized white bows to detract from the red?

We came home and Mister F was enthused! I asked him, "this place really inspired you didn't it?" and he said that for the first time he was actually able to envision our wedding. I loved seeing him come up with ideas without prompting.

My mama has done a ton of research into venues, so we're going to visit a few more places just for comparison (I feel safe in doing this due to the amount of space left available). But, tentatively, I have a venue?

More venue visits

2009-06-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

The venue visiting is starting to get a little out of control. It actually feels a little surreal at this point. In case you missed it: venue visit 1, venue visit 2, venue visit 3, venue visit 4, and venue visit 5. Yeah, I know. Ridiculousness.

This last weekend F, Ma and I went to visit another two venues.

This is a place called Bethany Vineyard, which is about 20 minutes north of here. I don't have much information about the weddings they hold because there was a serious lack of communication. I called there they Tuesday before we left and left a message asking about setting up an appointment to come tour the venue. I got a message back that said "No need to set up an appointment, just come out to vineyard on Saturday during the tasting room hours and there will be someone to show you around and give you information". Ok, cool. The next weekend, we drive up there and go into the tasting room. The woman behind the counter then proceeds to tell us that the women who does the group sales isn't in and they don't have any packets of information left. I was slightly angry so say the least. I told her what the message had said and she was apologetic, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. So we walked around and took some pictures, and then did wine tasting... you know, since we were already there.

So all in all, it's very pretty and I've heard good things about it, but I just am concerned about getting into a contract and relying on people who has some problems with communication.

One more venue to show you all, but I'm saving it for last :)

More cuteness ahead

2009-05-30T11:21:00.001-07:00

Found this from One Pretty Thing

Carnival Themed Bridal Shower!
Carnival Bridal Shower

Includes printables for:
Bridal shower invite, games, name tags, drink labels, and striped paper.

Serious cuteness.

Like to DIY?

2009-05-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

A while ago I stumbled across a website that has since become one of my toolbar links because I check it everyday, it's called One Pretty Thing. I don't know how many of you know about this website, but it's awesome! There are bunches of new DIY crafts and ideas from all over the web gathered on this site. I found this one from the other day:

Plus, there are a lot of pictures, which keeps my attention because I'm really 4 years old and get really easily distracted. I use the site a lot for craft ideas for my kids (have I mentioned I'm a preschool teacher?). But I think you could find bridesmaids gift ideas on here, mother's day, father's day, graduation, free printable things.... need I go on?

It is a lot of fun, check it out if you get a chance!

inspirations, lately

2009-05-29T10:05:00.001-07:00

1. My favorite restaurant in Bellingham, Flats Tapas Bar (this is where I got the idea to put white butcher paper and a box of crayons on each table)

2. "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson.

3. Hydrangeas

4. The Great Gatsby

5. Pomegranate margaritas and white zinfandel

6. This gazebo that I found in Balboa Park during my trip to San Diego last week:

~Anna

Organizing my Google Notebook

2009-05-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

I was busy yesterday organizing one of my favorite Google tools- the notebook. And I saw all kinds of pictures I hadn't looked at for months and I thought I would share some of them

Today, bouquets!

Looking through all these pictures I realize that I'm drawn to tight bouquets and more loose centerpieces (but that's a different story).

And I love the idea of using not just flowers in the bouquets, but other fun textures too.

Okay, it doesn't have added texture, but I love it anyway. (SO many interesting bouquets in this group, check it out!)

Source

I love the colors and feathers and vintage glam of this all

Source

Have I mentioned that I love color and texture?

Source

And that I love yellow and succulents?

Source

More vintage glam?
Yes please.

Source

Last but not least

I love this bouquet, but it's not flowers... it's made of clay! I love it anyway and would love to duplicate it with fresh ingredients.

Source

Droolworthy, all of them.

deconstructing jewish weddings

2009-05-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

"You know Anna," a reverend that I frequently work with on campus told me, "you will probably lose some friends in the process of getting married."

Maybe this is true to a minimal extent, but then again those people probably aren't my true friends.

Indeed, planning for an interfaith wedding is just the tip of the iceberg. Interfaith marriage brings up many questions and requires about twice as much soul-searching. It is also difficult to find good resources on Jewish life for interfaith couples. Luckily, I have found both a supportive congregation in the area where I will be living next year, as well as quite a few mentors in the form of professionals, family members, friends, and excellent books.

No matter what form they take, Jewish weddings are considerably more complicated than the watered-down mainstream Christian ceremonies we often see on television. There are very specific traditions and these carry requirements that include people, resources, and knowledge. Whether or not the wedding is in English or Hebrew, on a holiday or not, long or short, formal or informal--these things all make a difference.

I found this article to be very straightforward. It is like a "Jewish Weddings 101" class in a brief and succinct format. So before I get tangled up with what color kippot to order and whether or not to DIY benchers, I need to spend some time with Fiance discussing what is important to us and how we can include it in the ceremony. Beginning at square one is easier said than done. Weddings have a tendancy to rush you into obsession over the minutia while the really important things get left behind.

~Anna

Ketubah from Levine Judaica

Kvetch

2009-05-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days where I just want to be finished with graduate school. Seriously, I will enjoy wedding planning so much more once this chapter of my life is finished.

No further reports for now. Humph.

~Anna

Whirlwind Venue Visits Part 3

2009-05-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

I just updated the layout, and I have to say... I love the simplicity of it! (Although I may just be saying this because I can't do the fancy html coding and updating like some other blogs...No matter). It was inspired by Anna's post a couple of weeks ago about the Great Gatsby.

I was gently (and by gently I mean loudly and obnoxiously) awakened at 6:30 by my brother who I am babysitting this weekend, so I thought "hey, why not go and post that last venue visit". Good idea self!

This is the venue I visited last weekend with my invalid father (hurt back) and invalid F (recovering from hernia surgery), it was sad to watch them hobble around, but I love that they both came none-the-less. The venue is called Lakeside Gardens. At first (as you will probably agree if you went to the website link I just included) I was put off by the website. I figured no place worth going to would have that website... But my mom called them for information and ending up setting up an appointment, so we went, couldn't hurt could it?

When we got there I realized I had left my camera at home, so all the photos I'm including are from the photo cd they included in their information. So ignore all the random people in the pictures because none of them are me... zing!

This facility is gorgeous, a 7 acre facility with bridges and lakes and gazebos all over the place.

This bridge was right outside the reception space and led to a little island

One of the gazebos

The lake was huge and beautiful

Ok, I find the swans a little cheesy and they are the facility's icon
One end of the aisle

For the ceremony you walk from that pretty tunnel-y thing to the gazebo at the other end

Ceremony gazebo

Reception space... I would have all the curtains open and those windows too

Dance floor... a tad small for my tastes

So there is Lakeside Garden recap. I sat down and did some number crunching and I will share that when we have decided on a place. I'm going to see if we can stop by another venue today...

Happy Sunday!

Whirlwind Venue Visits Part 2

2009-05-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

So after Mom and I had visited Edgefield, we decided to drive around to some other venues in the area (unannounced) and see if any of them could see us. That's how we ended up at Gray Gables. Gray Gables was beautiful, absolutely beautiful, feast your eyes on this loveliness...

The outside ceremony site

Soft sound of running water

Beautiful raised bridge, that would make beautiful pictures...

Main ceremony area

The aisle I would walk down

Reception area is through those doors

The reception space; beautiful, spacious, plush carpets and crystal chandeliers...

All set up for an event...

Gray Gables was beautiful- amazingly landscaped and and set-up. While touring the venue I felt like it was gorgeous, but maybe a little too fancy for F and I; I'm not sure we're crystal chandelier type of people. So with that in mind, when the consultant laid the price for a four hours block of time, I was already okay if we weren't going to be able to afford it... and holy shiz there was absolutely no way. For four hours of time, it was at least twice as much as Edgefield, which you get for the whole day. It was also more than what I want our entire budget to be by a significant amount. I could tell it was going to be expensive, but I was shocked at the final number... Mom and I walked out shaking our heads at the ridiculous.

So continues the venue hunt.

Whirlwind Venue Visits Part 1

2009-05-10T20:31:00.001-07:00

My schedule the last two weeks has made me feel like I'm back in school, out early and back to the house very late. The good news is that my F is recovering from his surgery quite well, although he is still moving like the invalid he is. In the last week, I have been to three different venues and am scheduled to see another two next weekend. I'll recap the last three this week and tell you why I'm continuing to look for places.

Venue Visit Numero Uno (ok, so I speak no Spanish...): McMenamins Edgefield.

The Pros:
Edgefield is old Poor Farm turned hotel , but it's like a little city. It is a beautiful grand old building with multiple buildings including restaurants, pubs, bars, winery, golf course and putting green, spa, greenhouse and herb garden, and movie theatre.

The Main Lodge Building

One of the event spaces was in here, also the movie theatre and a library pub

Another view of the Lodge and Power Station

I love this old vintage water tower, can you imagine the pictures?!

The tiniest little pub, but so cute and with a lot of outside picnic tables for hanging out at

Another possible event space, you rent the house and then you get to use the garden and porch for the ceremony and receptions

Ok, now the cons. I only have one con. It's not money or availability, oh no... It's not the hotel or anything it offeres, uh uh... The only con of the whole place is the event space we have to use for our reception with the number of people we'll have. So disappointing.

Yeah, with all the old beautiful brick and ivy, this cement and mossy building is where the reception will be.

This picture doesn't make it look too bad, but oh it was...

The inside of the building. You can't tell, but it was so dark! The whole interior was dull and ugly... Yuck.

The ceremony site wasn't too bad, that double tree thing flowers in the summer and most people get married underneath that...

The entrance between the ceremony site and reception ridiculousness.

I love the idea of having the wedding here, can you imagine how much fun it would be to have all your out of town guests staying here or somewhere close. Visions of meeting up to play board games or pool, having a drink at the little pub, having a girls meet up at the spa... But that room, oh that room! I went with Mom last Saturday and then stopped by again with Dad and F yesterday, it's pretty much a consensus that that room is just ugly and worse in person than in pictures.

So the hunt continued. Tomorrow, the beautiful (and way out of our price range) second venue visit of last weekend.

Am I the only person who is visiting a ton of places because I just can't seem to find the place I'm looking for? Or is that perfect place just not out there?

show and tell

2009-05-06T14:24:00.001-07:00

These images from Once Wed keep replaying through my mind...

art deco musings

2009-05-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since reading "The Great Gatsby" in the eighth grade, I have been completely in love with the art deco fashion movement. From dixieland jazz to embellished waste lines, I find this style incredibly romantic.

Next month, a good friend of ours is throwing an engagement party for us. The theme is Roaring Twenties, and I couldn't be more excited to throw on a flowing dress and drink mint juleps.

The more I think about the style of my dress and the other elements we're incorporating into this wedding, the more room there is for a little art deco flair. What is more decadent than a dessert and champagne reception?

Dress: Check!

2009-05-03T13:45:00.001-07:00

I bought my wedding dress!!!

So, I fell in love with this dress for many reasons including:

1. It is elegant and understated
2. It flatters my body type
3. When I wear it, I get really excited about the wedding
4. I can sit in it and dance in it

Things are moving along. Fiance's task in the next few weeks is to book the venue. I am dutifully reading books such as "The New Jewish Wedding" for help and inspiration. Our prospective wedding parties and guest list have been identified, with a little wiggle room for the latter.

I know wedding planning is supposed to be stressful, but having a slightly longer engagement has made the process this side project we can go back to when we have free time every now and then. I am sure it won't always be that way, but for now it gives us a little breathing room.

We know where we're moving next year, and I got a position that incorporates my passions. Fiance is still working on the job hunt, but the picture is slowly focusing in a little bit more sharply.

~Anna

2009-05-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy week ending with F having hernia surgery yesterday. To help entertain him during his estimated three week (!) recovery period, I'm lending him my laptop (he only has a desktop). So I thought I should post a quick post before I do.

Mom and I are going to visit another venue this afternoon, McMenamins Edgefield. F is sad he can't go and requested that we bring the video camera and tape it. This is the first traditional (ie hotel with space for a ceremony and reception site) venue we will have visited. I'm excited, but I hope it stops raining soon!

In other news, if my wedding was in late April, early May I would change my entire wedding plans to include lilacs on every table and in every bouquet. They are so gorgeous, loose, and smell great!

Love them.

How do relationships and technology fit together?

2009-04-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I blog and everyone reading this blogs as well so I'm not against technology at all, but I think it's really interesting to see the kind of culture we live in now where technology makes it so easy to share things that probably don't need to be displayed for the whole world to see.

I found this link somewhere (Weddingbee I think) STFU Marrieds and I don't necessarily like the point of the website degrading the gact that married people are affectionate towards each other, but some of the things on there are pretty ridiculous. And some things that don't need to be shared...

Just because you have the ability to share details of your relationship, is it really necessary? Some of the posting on there are kind of sweet and some are kind of ridiculous, but I kind of feel like if you are wanting your partner to be seeing these, wouldn't it be just as easy to write them a private note about how much you love them? Or is it about showing the world and all your friends just how in love you are? I guess I can't be quite a hypocrite, I have written on my F's wall just to tell him I love him, but not to the extent some of these people are.

Sorry for this little weird venty thing, I'm just pondering relationships with the invent of all this new technology...

Vintage and modern, this is my dilemma

2009-04-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

I can't remember where I found this link, but I have been sitting, drooling, and coveting the jewelery on Doyle and Doyle. It is a vintage jewelry store where you can shop online, and I must confess... I. Love. Vintage. I don't wear it often, but I have always loved how it looked. Thanks to a friend I met up with yesterday, I am now aware of some amazing vintage stores close by that I will be hitting up for sure in my quest for wedding jems. But anywho. Check out these beauts!

Yum yum yum.

Browsing these has made me realize what my ultimate problem is... (ok a little dramatic haha). But, I love vintage and I also love modern, so my problem is how do I combine these in a way that doesn't look random and ridiculous? This is something I'm going to have to think about... but until I figure it out, I'm going to continue to lust after these incredibly expensive jewelry.

Why hello there

2009-04-20T23:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been absent, I had wonderful friends visiting from England and then it was my birthday and Easter, so I've been busy!

I've been hard at work on F's bday present (his birthday is Thursday... we're exactly 2 weeks apart, well, almost), but I don't think I'm going to have time to finish it! It was going to be a quilt made out of old tee-shirts of ours. So now I have to think of something else, but I usually plan way ahead so I'm out of my league here.

In other news, I have found the inspiration for the cufflinks for the guys thanks to Suffering Love. I think I'll make them because if I can find the cufflink backings, it will be so easy to do.

My F and his boys are geeks to the extreme, so these are perfect for them!

I am...

2009-04-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

...the one holding the wine glass :)

It was good to volunteer my efforts for a good friend's wedding. I feel refreshed, recharged, and just a little more liberated.

wedding dresses on the cheap

2009-03-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Fiance and I just got back from a wonderful camping trip in the California Redwoods. To be honest, I haven't been doing too much wedding planning over the last week or so. However, I was doing a little research and found three dresses that range in price and are overall very inexpensive. I suppose with the wedding a little less than a year away I should be trying to find my dress, but it's so much more fun to shop for imaginary people instead. I just have faith that my dress will reveal itself when the time comes.

$50.00 from Target. I don't think this would flatter my body type, but I think that somebody with narrow hips and a smaller bust line could pull it off. The front of the dress didn't win me over, but the "V" in the back with the small bow is quite elegant.

$295 from J. Crew. Contrary to the style above, I think that this dress would look beautiful on somebody with curves. The dress shape is feminine and reminds me of a Neoclassical painting.

$118 at Nordstrom's. This would be very chic for a more relaxed afternoon wedding/garden party deal.

More free things!

2009-03-29T10:27:00.001-07:00

I've been very busy as I have two lovely ladies visiting me from England, but I had to post these...

Free free free!! You download the zip file and they have a link for the font that you can download too. They are posted in navy today, but they are asking for people to leave comments for what colors they want to see and they are going to post this same set in different colors?

Who is doing this? Wedding Chicks!!

Just found this website

2009-03-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I just found this website, and I'm really loving it so far! I love the different combination of palettes...

http://theperfectpalette.blogspot.com/

I did it!

2009-03-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

One major experience in my life is finally over and done with... I'm a college graduate! Holy cow! It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but it was amazing. Still a little unreal to be done, but oh well...

Here is a shot of my graduation outfit in action (ok, so this was the drive home and I didn't wear jeans or flats to the ceremony, it was just too cold afterwards!)
Before I left for graduation, I came home from work to find this exciting package sitting on my counter! Yay invites! Now I have to find a place to store them for another year... haha
Aren't they adorable? And Mom and I are so excited to start working on the DIY portion of these!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

t- one year

2009-03-20T12:10:00.001-07:00

On sale at JCrew.

Last night Fiance and I consulted with one of our many elves that is going to make this wedding happen for us. She suggested moving the wedding to nighttime, since it most likely won't be sunny in March anyway. The boathouse has a big fireplace, which would look very romantic. The excellent rationale behind all of this is that it is much easier to decorate the room for night (smaller candles go a long way) than for day.

The other idea I am toying around with is a dessert buffet and cocktail reception instead of a traditional dinner. This means that the wedding would be at around 7:00 (after dinner) with photos taking place during the afternoon.

Hmmm, things to consider! My next project is playing around with paper for invitations, save the dates, etc. Scratch that. My next project is reserving the venue.

~Anna

Shopping divert

2009-03-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

So I went shopping last weekend, and it was one of those days (rare and far between but amazing none-the-less) where almost everything fits well and looks cute. My mission was a graduation outfit (I'm graduating this weekend, crazy!), but I got more. I love them, so I'm going to show them off...

Ok, first here is what I decided on. I know it's ridiculously cold and stormy here because it's just about spring in the Northwest, and that this dress kind of looks summery... but it was so flattering! 13.99 from Ross (LOVE Ross, when it's good)

Then I thought, I can't wear a strapless dress in March, so we headed to Target where I picked up a kelly green cardigan to wear over the top. My mom was skeptical, I put it on and proved her wrong!
Another cute cardigan from Target- On sale for 18.99 (with a red tank and some black pants?)

Last but not least my best deal of the weekend... I picked these boots up from Goodwill with the tags still on for $6.99. Our Goodwill has some sort of agreement with the Target near it and there is always a ton of clearance stuff from Target there. These boots had a Target clearance tag marked at $29.99...
There was also at least 20 round tableclothes in an off white linen fabric for $2.99. I told my mom if my wedding was in the next couple months, I might have purchased all those tableclothes.

I'm happy with my purchases...

heh.

2009-03-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

The woman cutting my hair today told me all about her wedding which will be happening in Lynden this summer (the local Washingtonians will understand what this connotes).

Here's just a few "highlights":
-Denim bedazzled ballgowns for the junior bridesmaids.
-Cowboy boots. Lots of them.
-Mechanical bull.
-Spicy rib BBQ.

Well, I am being a little bit of a snob reporting this out, but at least this gal picked a theme and went for it.

Just found this

2009-03-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

I love this dress from (gasp in horror if you will) Davids Bridal. It's so unlike their usual beaded style...

It's so modern! I love this, probably for something other than my wedding. But so simple, chic, adorable!

Yum

2009-03-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

From Flights of Fancy.

Whoa baby, this just about sums up the color combination I have been dreaming up in my head over the last two weeks. Very pretty for late March.

~Anna

Venue Visit #2

2009-03-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

So last Sunday, Mom, F and I went to visit another venue possibility (Venue Visit # 1, in case you missed it). It had potential, and all was going well until... Well, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

First view, remember that it is winter in the Northwest and all this will be much greener in the summer

You rent out the whole property and basically do whatever you want with it

This little house in the top left is where the girls get ready, it's called the hen house

More views of the grounds

Trying to get a picture of the big pond, the lady who owned it walked in the way

Then trying to get a second picture, F walked in the way... So I gave up

F trying out the bridge

Countryside

Big open space, with the 'Salon' on the right hand side

Here's where I started thinking, maybe too country?

Ok, so then I tried to think positive again, how cute would picture be of people dancing in here with lights all around? (And picnic tables gone)

But here's where things get bad... Her face should have been a warning...

Look at my mom's face, it says it all. The inside of the salon was disastrous... Dirty, gross. It started pouring down rain while we were in there and it all leaked in and there were raccoon and owl pellets everywhere. Yuck.

Stuffed bear with a cowboy hat, stuffed bobcats in the corner, bear heads in the wall... I couldn't even picture our ideas being implemented in this space.

Yeah.

Ok, so I was thinking, well to rent the whole place would be cool, we could just keep the Salon closed. Then she said that it was going to be $1600 for a day. Alright... what does that include? Oh, just the property, nothing else? Oh, huh.

Mom and I talked, and this was more country rustic than we were looking for. F liked the fact that it had a bar, but I don't think he really understood how much work we would have to put into it. I think I would rather pay more and have things included (like linens, set up, and clear away at least).

Then I went out shopping and I came home and I mom had a huge list of places she wants us to check out. It makes me so happy to have her involved, I know that she doesn't want to be that pushy Momzilla, but I love that she is getting more involved. When I told her my vague ideas for the invites, she was like "Totally! We have so much time to make that happen!" And it's all thanks to a small community bridal show :D

...save the date cards continued...

2009-03-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

Check out these postcards from Moo.

You can customize them with your own pictures, text, etc. Or you can use one of their designs:

I think this would be a very cute idea for save the date cards. 60 postcards will run you $49.95. Moo also customizes notecards, stickers, and full-sized cards. I think that the stickers could be used in some way, shape, or form as accents for wedding favors.

~Anna

More freebies!

2009-03-16T19:58:00.001-07:00

Thanks to iDiY for the heads up!

Cute spring labels that could be used for escort cards, or just for bringing springtime to your house!

Head to Heirloom Paperie to download...

Save The Date Cards...

2009-03-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

...necessary, or a waste of paper?

I love the idea of announcing the wedding formally like that, but I have gone to three weddings in the last year that had nothing of the sort.

Humph. Maybe it's one of those things that sounds really good when you first get started with wedding planning, but then falls by the wayside as things start cooking. Which, I've come to the conclusion, is fine with me.

Wedding planning has finally kicked off. I've moved from daydreaming while perusing blogs to tackling the nuts and bolts. The most useful tool I employ? A good old Excel spreadsheet. Not only can I itemize each expense, I am in the habit of plugging in the links to online resources which speak to that particular necessity. I like being able to look at the spreadsheet and see the big picture.

Once we decided upon the amount we wanted to spend on the wedding (we're paying for it ourselves), it was a lot easier to start budgeting. It was also a lot easier to start cutting back. As the dollars and cents start adding up, you start to become inventive.

"Let's just have a small wedding," Fiance said out of the blue two weeks ago.
"Wha-at?" I stuttered. I mean, he has a huge family. HUGE. This would mean bye bye cousins...
"No, I mean, let's just have a small one up here with a small reception and then have the big potluck thing my mom wants to do a couple days later," he explained.

That's the beauty of thrift. Everybody wins and I can sleep at night refreshingly giddy about my wedding plans. Budgeting helped us make the wedding into our wedding. I know it sounds corny, but the spreadsheet saved the big day. Save the dates... TBD.

~Anna

Oh yeah, and...

2009-03-15T17:15:00.001-07:00

I saw an infomercial this morning and now I must have...

The Cricut!

I told F I wanted it and he asked what it was and what it did, and I just couldn't do it justice... I mean, how do you explain pure awesome?

Random...

2009-03-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Updates! Today is going to be a productive wedding day, I can feel it!

First, I'm going to buy those Target invitations I talked about last time (Cheap Wife, I responded to your comment but I totally found those Letter Impress because of your blog and your invites, so THANK YOU! I love the ones you used by the way, another reason to wish pink was a larger part of our color scheme...)! There was some major drama with them: they weren't available online. When I went to the Target store in our area that supposedly had them, they were completely out. The woman who helped me said they weren't available at all- anywhere. I was so bummed, I came home and tried ebay and amazon and no luck. Finally, I googled (love that this is a verb) them out of desperation and got a hit! Where you might ask? TARGET. They were available online again. So long story long, once I realized how bummed I was about not being to get them, I knew I had to have them. I showed them to my mom (F was with me for the Target thing, he so loves to help but he just doesn't get stationary haha) and she agreed that they are amazing and we talked about how to use them and then dress them up a little bit. So it's like semi DIY without half the hassle. I'm not going to discuss my plans now-especially since I don't need to send out invites for another year or so (so I'm ahead of the game?).

Second, we're going to purchase F's ring today! It will probably look something like this:
He really likes the look of the Tungsten Carbide and we had talked to the jewelers where I got my e-ring and they had quoted a price around $500. Ok... that seems like a lot for a plain band. So, I think it was a Bee on Weddingbee, though I'm not sure which, but I was then tipped off to the idea of purchasing a ring on amazon. Voila! There are so many choices, and the one pictured above is $29.99. Seriously. Next to Platinum rings, they are apparently one of the best choices. And Platinum rings, holy cow- so expensive! F likes how these look better, and if there is any issues with it (like he loses it) it only costs $29.99 to replace. I think he is excited about wearing it, because he keeps asking me if I've bought it yet...

Third, we are going to visit a venue today! F set up the appointment for noon today... even though it looks like this outside:
Ok, it's not that bad... but it is pretty gross. Oh, spring in the Northwest.

It is called Hidden Springs and it really is hidden! It's a wedding venue that is just a little over 4 miles from my house that I have never heard of before! I talked to the owner at this little community bridal show I went to, but I'd done so much online research and it never showed up. It's a big piece of manicured land that the owners live next to and maintain, so I'm excited to see the possibilties. I promise to take a camera, even though it's yucky outside.

Judaica

2009-03-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Just found this treasure... great prices for a Ketubah

We're probably moving the wedding up to early spring 2010, and the format will most likely be a small ceremony and reception (50 or so guests) followed by a larger potluck reception (125-150) about a week later. It was the only way we could afford it and make everybody happy!

Dress: Not yet
Colors: Rethinking the whole "colors" thing
Location: Even if we move to California, most likely the Squalicum Boathouse

That's all for now!
~Anna

Invites

2009-03-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! This makes me wish that pink was a bigger part of our color scheme...

These invites are FREE! You just download, enter your own text, print, and voila!

http://www.empapers.com/floral-wedding-invitation.html

Speaking of invites, I found these on the target website last night and I'm considering going out to the only target store in the area that has them (they are sold out on the website, and only limited availability at one of the stores around here)

Green, dandelions, semi-letterpressed (the dandelions) on really nice paper.

Problem is I don't know how much they are... because they are out of stock it's not listed. And I've for so long thought I wanted to DIY the invites, but I guess I could buy them and do some added DIY to them? Buttons and belly bands... What do you guys think?

how can I DIY these?

2009-03-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I'd use these but I love them!

Ok, this is the last one I swear.

2009-03-04T21:35:00.001-08:00

I promise this is the last long image filled post dragging on and on about movies, but as soon of you know, when you get engaged everything starts becoming fair game for inspiration (literally everything lol, eating out becomes ideas for reception food, every bouquet I see gets a second glance, just in case). Today... Mamma Mia! I love this movie and it's appropriately based around a wedding!

I love this simple, casual look

Who wouldn't want to get married in a place as pretty as Greece?

See? Beautiful! And I love the idea of having candles or lights lining the walkway

This is what I want my bachelorette party to look like, although maybe minus my mother though that could be fun too

One of my favorite parts of the movie is when they are preparing for the wedding is when they are setting the table and Meryl Streep says something like "God knows there is no plan" and they are just putting random plates in any random order and I love that idea! Everytime I go to a thrift store I consider just buying a ton of random dishware and just using it all random and mismatched.

Look how simple and beautiful it is!

I also really want to do this, it would be so easy to get some mason jars and wire them up. Although I would also love to have Pierce Brosnan hang them. Is that possible?

Look how beautiful when all lit up!

And I would never want this to happen at my reception, but at the same time I really really do! It looks like so much fun!

I also love how despite the fact that not everything went perfectly, everyone had an amazing time. This is something I'm going to make myself remember, if everything isn't perfect it's not the end of the world.

Amanda Seyfried is beautiful and I love this dress!

Ok, wedding stuff will be back in the next few days. Have a wonderful Saturday!

Taking a break from wedding posting

2009-03-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

So lots of decisions have been... well, um... decided. I can't can't anything other than that because we haven't really acted on anything, other than the paint samples that I made F look through with me. Actually that was really funny because I cut out all the paint chips and we laid them out and each eliminated two until we got down to 4 green and 4 brown. F probably would have been happy just to let me choose, which is why I turned it into a game! (Preschool teacher much?) ANYWHO

I went and spent some quality time with my mom a weekend or two again and we went to see He's Just Not That Into You. I, being the romantic sap that I am, really liked it. I loved the stories (although being the English major that I am, I can understand some of the criticisms of the movie like there wasn't enough attention paid to each story).

Most of all, I loved the people in the movie. So many people who inspire my fashion (ok, don't blame them for my lack of fashion). But people I just love anyway, if you haven't had a chance to see this movie... make time to. It's a great movie to go see with girlfriends or mothers. Maybe even the man in your life, although one of the funniest things that happened was at the end during the credits, one of the guys in the theatre pretended to sob really loudly which made all the women laugh.

First off, Ginnifer Goodwin
I absolutely love her! I think she is as cute as a button, and she stars in one of my favorite shows... Big Love!

Second, Scarlett Johansson
So, she's not the world's best actress, but she is stinkin' cute, and everything she wears looks good on her. Plus, I'm so jealous that she can rock any hair color.

Third, Jennifer Aniston
Who doesn't love her, honestly? From Friends to now, she has always looked classy. She even rocks a salmon colored bridesmaid dress in the movie!

Fourth, Drew Barrymore
Her company produced the movie, but she is not in it a lot herself. But the scenes she's in are hilarious, and if I'm being honest, I have watched her True Hollywood Story and think she is pretty amazing to have survived the childhood she had, AND become a smashing success. Plus, she's beautiful!

Last, but not least, Jennifer Connelly
I don't know much about her, but she reminds me of a young Demi Moore. I think she has a classic beauty and she rocks business fashion in this movie.

Now for some eye candy.

Bradley Cooper.
So often he plays an ass, but I still love him! He's adorable and he's good in another one of my favorite shows... Alias!

Second up for eye candy, Ben Affleck!
My mom and I both love him, but say "he's so cute, you want him to succeed", but yet, he does so many crappy movies. Poor Ben. Just stand there and look cute.

Third up! Kevin Connolly
He's honestly just so cute. He's great at playing earnest characters who you always relate to and cheer for, like in another one of my favorite shows... Entourage!

Last but not least, Justin Long
He's not my idea of eye candy, but he's really funny and you gotta love a man for a sense of humor (I know that was the first thing I loved about F).

Check out the fashion!

Ok, so now that you all think I'm ridiculous AND addicted to television, I apologize! I needed a little break to get all the weddings things organized so I can present you with REAL stuff, yay!

I have some other movies that I'm going to blog about, but those are movies that are wedding inspiration, so they aren't quite as off topic.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Monday!

Progress!

2009-03-01T19:57:00.001-08:00

F and I sat down and talked about all things wedding today, it was so nice! I had been feeling really frustrated thinking that I would have to do this whole thing by myself, and that F didn't give a flying hoot about the wedding. Well, we sat down today (which he suggested) and discussed all things wedding! Many decisions were made, but the one I'll share today is... our color scheme!

I've been so inspired that I've been having a really hard time narrowing it down to just two or three colors, so I decided, why?

According to Home Depot's paint section, our main colors are Pucker Up (which I will probably refer to as apple green) and Revival Mahogany, with accents of Palace Rose, Celestial Sun, Autumn Glow and Candlelight Ivory. So basically, green and brown with accents of pink, yellow, orange and ivory. Why do I need to narrow the colors down? Who says that you should only have two or three?

2009-02-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

VistaPrint is having a huge sale on invites and other stationary! They have great party invites and some very tempting save the dates (STD's... hehehe, there are lots of funny acronyms in the wedding world) that I would use in a second! I'm pretty sure when we get around to make our STD's that I'll use VistaPrint. This sale I could get 100 STD's for 46.00 with all the info printed. And we could use a picture of ourselves that would be printed in color as well! Exciting! Now I just need to choose a date... F and I are supposed to be sitting down and doing some major decision making this weekend, I'll keep you all posted.

And just so this isn't a completely word filled post...

The snowman F and I made with the first snow of the year. We had some more last friday, but here's hoping that it was the last.

Real wedding

2009-02-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

I have so many things I want to blog about (the zoo, the movie I went to see this weekend, bridal jealousy) but I'm exhausted from my first day back to work, so those are going to wait. Until I can post for real, here is an adorable wedding from Style Me Pretty

I love these colors! So bright and pretty!

"Mary and Justin knew that they wanted the focus of their wedding celebration to be on family and friends … so there could be no better place than Mary’s parent’s backyard."

"Mary and Justin knew that their family would love a candy buffet, so the centerpieces and other floral design incorporated bright candy-colors into the overall style."

“ 'Style Me A Pretty Wedding' … yep … I think Mary, Cindy & Signature Events did!"

"Photographs provided by Signature Events. A huge thanks to Amy for sending us Mary & Justin’s delightful celebration!

Vendor Credits: Photography by Wendy Cahill; Floral Design by D. McLeod; Catering by Red Blazer

DIY Valentines

2009-02-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's a little late, but here is the post I've been talking about! I decided to make valentines for my whole family because it's the first Valentines Day I'll spend with my family in a couple of years. So I was thinking, what is a cheap something that I can make, but still cute, easy and fun?

DIY Recycled paper bag valentines
Supplies:
1 Brown grocery bag (I used one normal sized bag and got 5 valentines bags)
Scraps of fabric
1 dvd (I found the ones with the square cover best since they are really square)
pencil
Sewing machine and brightly colored thread
Needle
Candy (I'm using some I already had, but I also bought some more to fill it out a little more... that was the only thing I had to buy for this project, so the total cost of the project was around $3.00 and a couple hours of time)

Step 1: Cut open grocery bag and lay flat on hard surface.Then trace DVD cover. Next I free handed the angled edges at the bottom (these are showing on the top, but imagine them flipped around) to create an envelope effect. Not necessary, but I liked it better. You can freehand this because you can just trim them to match later on.
I used my copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to trace.
Step 2: Pick out the fabric or design you want on the outside of the bag and pin it on. Make sure it's where you want it though because the pin marks show if you move it around. In this case, I cut a heart out of fun fabric for my brother.
Step 3: Sew design on using your regular sewing machine. Be careful not to go to fast or pull too hard as it will tear the paper.

Step 4: Lay two pieces together with the rough sides out (the sides that will be on the inside) and sew the angled parts of the bottom together.
I also folded along the pencil mark from the DVD tracing so that when I did the next step it was a cleaner fold.
Step 5: Fold two pieces at line down and away from each other until those two pieces that were just on the outside are now on the inside and your pretty design is on the outside.

Step 6: Sew straight-edges up each side. I chose a bright color that matches the bright fabric.
Step 7: I added straps so I can hang them on their doors the night before, so they can have them first thing in the morning! I used scraps that I already had. If I could change how I did this for next time, if I'm adding straps I would have done it before I sewed the two pieces together. Because after I sewed them together, I couldn't use the sewing machine, so I had to sew them together by hand which was the most time-consuming part of the whole project.

And voila! Easy, cute and cheap (cheap cheap!).

This one is for my older bro.

This one is for my little bro.
For my mom (painted with pink acrylic paint before sewing)
And for my dad (painted with white acrylic paint, and the red is made from a red paper napkin)

All my cuties all together.
This was such an easy, cheap project that I'm almost considering making them again for my favors. Can you imagine a candy buffet with these to put the candy in? And it would only cost me time and energy because I have so much scrap fabric that could be used and they could all be different and I could even maybe get a monogram stamp to put on them too! Love it :)

In other news, here are my anniversary roses almost three weeks later. I think there is something really elegant about dying roses. I've saved so many of the flowers I've received in my life (I dried the roses Evan gave me on our first date and still have them).

And in even other news.... My kitten boy thinks he is a man and has to control the remote. So cute :D
And now I've off to fill up my valentines bags and finishing F's other valentines projects which I will show later. We are going to the zoo tomorrow and I'm sure I will have pictures of that to share soon too.

Have a wonderful Valentines Day!

Um, how cute is this?

2009-02-12T20:39:00.001-08:00

I will have my DIY valentines stuff up later tonight, but until then... check out this adorable idea for a valentine! Who doesn't love a mixtape?

Mixtape Card Tutorial

This card is so easy to make it hardly even needs a tutorial, but I thought it would be fun to put together anyway. And I wanted to show off my amazing graphics and photoshop skills (yeah, right). This card makes a perfect handmade Valentine if you embroider something sweet on the label, or the title of your favorite lovesong... Don't want to sew? Use fabric glue! Don't have fabric? Use paper and glue instead!

Without further ado, let's get started!

You'll need:

8 1/2 x 11 sheet cardstock

felt, denim, or any sturdy fabric

embroidery floss

scissors

needle

pen or chalk pencil (for dark fabric)

Optional:

fabric glue (for a no-sew version!)

fray check (to prevent raggy edges)

Make the Card

Click to get larger size, and print the pattern:

Cut the pattern pieces: use sharp scissors to keep those edges tidy!

Using a pen or chalk pencil, write a lovesong or romantic phrase on the label. Simple block letters are easiest.

Embroider the label.

Sew pieces together using a blanket stitch or straight stitch.
No-sew version: Glue the pieces together with fabric glue.

Optional: If using denim or other fabric, treat raw edges with fray check to keep them from fraying. I didn't use fray check on my card because I like ragged edges!

Fold the 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock in half for a large card. For a smaller card, fold one more time.

Sew the finished cassette to card using blanket stitch or straight stitch.
No-sew version: Glue the cassette to the card using fabric glue.

Say something nice and memorable on the inside of your Valentine!

Voila! You just made a mixtape card. I could churn out a bajillion of these, I think they're so cute. And so much less goopy than your average card bedecked with pink hearts and so forth.

Feel free to use this pattern however you please - alter it, leave out stuff, and adapt to your heart's content.

Love this! It would be so easy to replicate!

2009-02-09T22:18:00.001-08:00

Making Candles in Tins

Tea tins are ideal for making these simple but effective container candles. However, you can also use olive oil jugs, sardine cans, or any other tin imaginable to make beautiful and colorful displays!

Supplies:

Four 6-inch-length wire-core wicks, primed

4 wick holders

4 tin cans, approximately 4 inches deep and 2 inches wide

2.5 ounces stearin

1 disk wax dye, if desired

1.5 pounds paraffin wax

Directions:
1. Insert a length of primed wick into each wick holder and place a wick in the center of each tin.

2. In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, melt the stearin and wax dye, if using.

3. Add the wax. Melt and mix thoroughly. Heat to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Anchor the wicks in the tins by pouring enough wax into each tin to cover about 1/2 inch of each wick. Allow the wax to cool for about 30 minutes.

5. Wrap the end of the wicks around tie rods and rest the rods on the tops of the containers. Take up any slack in the wicks and center them within the tins. Be careful not to dislodge the anchors.

6. Reheat the wax to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and fill the tins to within 1/2 inch of the top. Allow to cool for one hour.

7. If the wax settles, reheat the remaining wax to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and top off the candles as necessary.

8. Cool for several hours or overnight. Remove the tie rods, trim the wicks to 1/4 inch, and the candles are ready to light.

This project originally appeared in the book Country Living Homemade Candles.

I'm going to start collecting tins as soon as possible!

Busy busy

2009-02-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've been busy all day today working on valentines presents for my family and F. I'll post pictures of them in the next post and talk about our Valentines traditions. And the exciting thing about this particular Valentines Day.

Until then, here is an old recipe that I love.

FLUFFY EGGLESS PANCAKES
From COOKS.COM

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon butter

Combine dry ingredients and mix slightly. Add milk, oil, water, and vanilla. Whisk together until just combined. Be careful not to over mix - it should still be slightly lumpy. Set aside to rest for a few minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. While pan is heating, add butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add melted butter to pancake batter.

Return pan to stove and stir butter into batter.

When pan is hot, with a measuring cup or ladle, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake.

Cook until bubbles form on the surface. Carefully flip pancakes with turner/spatula and cook until golden brown.

Note: This recipe also works well with whole wheat flour. Chopped fruit, nuts or chocolate chips can be added to batter before cooking for a unique treat.

I love this recipe because a) it's so easy, b) it can be made even if you don't have eggs, and c) they are more like European pancakes which means they should be spread with Nutella and enjoyed like a crepe!!

Anniversary pictures!!

2009-02-03T20:56:00.001-08:00

Alright, so I said my outfit choices where between two dresses... SYKE! (does anyone say that anymore?) My final outfit was one I threw on right before leaving. Black tee and jeans. I didn't feel like I would have been as comfortable in a dress, and I really wanted F to wear his argyle sweater.

We ended up with five different poses. We were really happy with the five we choice, and I'm excited to give them to parents, grandparents etc. And I did something that's probably illegal, and scanned them so I can print out more copies if I want to.

Without further ado...

Check out that argyle!

Different side and background

Ok, so I didn't realize 3 of the 5 poses were over the shoulder poses

I got this one in a 8 by 10 for me... I really like this one

And the crowning glory. I got this one in a 8 by 10 for Evan because we both died laughing after seeing this one. This symbolizes our relationship, me punching and him laughing. It's love...

What do you guys think???

New dresses make me happy

2009-02-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to blog about the two new dresses that I have acquired in the last month. Now seems like a good time because I was trying to decide between them because, for our anniversary, F arranged for us to go and get our pictures taken. We did them for our 2 year and loved them, then we did them again for our 3 year and I HATED them so we didn't go for 4. But we decided that 5 was a good year to try again. We had our appointment today and already have our pictures back. We decided just to go to a studio in the mall for ease and quick photos. Hopefully when we find our photographer we will be able to have an engagement session.

So here were the contenders!

F and I went to Kohls and got him two sweaters to work with these dresses. One was a black sweater with grey and red argyle. I thought I would pair it with this sweater dress from Target.

Target

I swiped this dress from my mom's closet. I would have to say this is the only time I've ever seen a dress on a model and actually liked it better on myself. This dress is cute worn with leggings and without the long sleeve shirt underneath. And it's only $16.09 right now!

The second dress I got from Marshalls which is like TJ Maxx or Ross, has clothes from big stores that haven't sold and it was on sale for $12.00. It is a jersey type material. I don't have a picture of it and can't find the brand online, so I thought I would show examples:

(middle image is from Wagglepop, I can't find where the others are from)

Imagine the basic layout of the first image, combined with the front rouching of the middle dress, with the color of the last dress.

F got a black sweater with gray squares, on sale at Kohls for 9.99!

So which dress and sweater combo did we go with? I will upload them in the next post, you'll have to wait to see. I'm quite happy with how the pictures turned out. We had a lot of fun and the photographer told us we made her day (although it was only 11:00, so is that a compliment? haha)

For other pretties, I have a few adorable dresses I've found... most of which are on sale!

This one I found on Target.com, and it's on sale for only $12.49!!
Target

This one I also found on Target.com and it also is only 12.49! AND it comes in brown, black, and yellow! Go check it out, it has a really sexy back.

Target

This dress is 'on sale' at JCrew (Damn you JCrew and your beautiful, drool-worthy too rich for my blood dresses!). This one is SO cute!
This orange sherbet one is 129.99 (down from 250.00). I usually don't wear orange, or even really like it, but this is a major exception. This dress also comes in four other flavors, erm, colors.
JCrew

I like this turqouise one too. This one is 89.00. I had to stop myself from save all the colors and putting them on here. Just promise me that you will go check them out. There is white, dark blue, and plum. I also really like the dark blue. And the plum. And the white could be used for a rehearsal dress, or even for the very fashion forward bride- a short wedding dress. So cute...

This one from Wet Seal is 32.99 and I love the lace of it!
Wet Seal

This dress is on Oldnavy.com and is a jersey dress that would be perfect for summer, and it's only $15.00 AND comes in 7 colors (6 solids and 1 print).
According to the website the dress comes in 'dark sea blue' (pictured above), 'cabot cove' (bright blue), 'kiwi kiss', 'bright coral', 'pink shag', 'black' and 'mixed floral' (white with tropical colored flowers).
Old Navy

I have to stop looking around, I'm itching for summer and summer clothes!

Next: Anniversary pictures are revealed!

Non-floral centerpieces

2009-02-02T01:07:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else watch the Superbowl? I didn't realize how much I actually really like to watch football (the American kind) until I went to England and couldn't. I'm disappointed that the Steelers won, I'm still mad about the Superbowl they stole from Seattle a couple of years ago.

Anywho, to continue with the theme of centerpieces, here are some non-floral centerpieces (they may include live things, but I avoided ones that are blatantly flowers...)

I LOVE the color of this one! This would be easy, cheap, and quite summery.

Snippet and Ink

I don't necessarily like the lamp or the fake looking leaves around it, but I think the idea of having a vintage piece at the center of the table is a really neat idea. And it would be easy I think.

The Knot

This couple named all the tables after favorite authors and used quotes from their books. As an English Lit major, this appeals to me big time.

OffbeatBride

I actually like this better, using books and wrapping with a colorful ribbon. This couple used books from their own personal library, so there was almost no cost!

Offbeat Bride

This bride made these using wood from her own backyard and made paper flowers to go with. Rustic, yet charming.

Once Wed

Lots of green plants in cool vintage holders. I am especially love those Hen and Chick plants. Could you have an entire planter full of them?

A Lovely Morning

Grass as a centerpiece. Beautiful color, easy to grow yourself. Easy peasy.

Style Me Pretty

Love love love fruit as a centerpiece! Fruit is so beautiful and rich in color, and can be quite inexpensive! Plus, then you can give it away or use it and it's not going quite as much to waste.

Frolic

F actually really loved this idea, he loved the idea of planting and growing your own herbs. I think I would rather mix herbs in the buckets, just to give it more texture.

Snippet and Ink

To take it one step furhter, you can have a completely non-floral bouquet by ordering with Meghan who I found on Weddingbee Pro. I actually really love the look of the felt and the buttons (I just really love buttons), but I think I like the bouts better than the bouquets. Interesting though!

Princess Lasertron Weddingbeepro

Enjoy!

Embarrassing confession

2009-01-30T23:13:00.000-08:00

I was going to make a post today about non-floral centerpieces to continue with my theme, but I have started doing something that I'm almost ashamed to talk about. I have started reading Midnight Sun, which if you don't know (and I pray that you don't!) is Twilight told through a different perspective.

So I have been unable to focus once I started reading that, but it's only a partial draft, so I should be back posting in the morning.

And so this post isn't a complete waste, one of my inspiration boards.

Have I mentioned yet my obsession with all things yellow?

Another embarrassing confession- I made this ages ago, before I know how to properly take note of where I got sources from, so I will dig (tomorrow) and try to find credit, but if anyone knows where any of these are from, please let me know!

Happy Friday!

I wanna feel the heat with somebody...

2009-01-29T21:00:00.001-08:00

Anybody else watching American Idol? I know it's a terrible show, but I can't help it!

To continue yesterday's theme, I want to feature some centerpieces with unusual vases.

I love the colors of this first, but I also like the low, dark container. It doesn't look heavy or overdone.

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Love. Love. LOVE this one! I love the contrast of the red pail with the white dahlias. And the lanterns add a sense of playfulness.

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This is from Our Labor of Love, but I really love the contrasting textures between the flowers, fillers, and galvanized pail.

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This is a simple way to dress up galvanized pails, get decorative paper and just wrap it around the pail. You could make each table a different theme, with different beautiful paper.

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Another example of dressing up a galvanized pail. I love the contrast here too between the poppies and the white lace.

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Mrs. Cookie from Weddingbee's centerpieces. I love the colors with the wood boxes!!

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F actually really loved this one, he loved the idea of growing our own centerpieces. I also think you could jazz up those galvanized pails to fit any theme.

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I beg of you to go check out Hoot and Hearts galleries, they are SO mind-blowingly beautiful. Everytime I go I get new inspiration and am blown away with their creativity

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Lots of different vases along the table, many of which look like dressed up tin cans. Easy peesy lemon squeezy

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All around simple. A few of one type of flower, in a plain wooden box.

Unfortunately I have searched and can't find the source for this...

I absolutely love this! Collect vintage tin cans, it brings extra color to the table.

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Another example of vintage tin cans. Love it.

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Watering cans add a sense of vintage garden party.

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Pretty paper makes me smile.

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Use a planted centerpieces. Pots could be painted to match colors, and centerpieces could be given away as gifts and they would actually last!

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Happy almost friday!!

Everyday we'll be happy I know

2009-01-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

I was at Winco (local cheap supermarket) grocery shopping when I saw their selection of canning goods. My mom has canned produce for as long as I can remember, so the idea of having mason jars in the house, and using them for vases is common for me. It wasn't until I was at Winco and saw them there (12 for $10) that I realized why should I spend tons of money on vases when there is such an understated, simple, cheap alternative?

And so cute!
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These also served as table names, being named after different things their grandmothers canned.

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So, with all those different uses of mason jars, I went to Ebay to see what I could find. And what did I find? The jackpot. 3 boxes of mason jars with 12 jars each, sitting at 0.99 each, plus shipping of course. But, 0.99??

A-ma-zing.

Really a winner?

2009-01-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from one of the vendors that I stopped by and entered a drawing with at the Portland Bridal Expo. The email said "Thanks for stopping by and entering our drawing, you have won $500 off if you book your wedding with us". Now, maybe I'm a negative Nelly, or maybe I'm just cautious, but I'm wondering if I really won something, or if they just send that out to everyone to see if they bite. Because I went with FSIL I asked F to see if she got the same email.

Nonetheless, that's pretty sweet! Every little bit counts and it was for a venue that I had actually really loved before we went to the show.

Here it is: The Abernathy Center

They have indoor and outdoor facilities. Big tent, lots of gardens... beautiful! There are two different outdoor sites, and then the ballroom.

I think I'm going to have to check this place in person and get logistics on price and what comes with and everything. But $500 off? I'm stoked!

Red and blue inspiration boards

2009-01-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

This is one pair of colors that I've really been liking, although it is a little bizarre. Teal or turquoise and a dark reddish pink (teal and raspberry if you want to be technical). So I put this board together.

Photo credits: dahlia hairclips etsy; red bird print etsy; turquoise pendant etsy; red and blue heels zappos; blue dress Jessica McClintock (for only $81!); blue vases from once wed. Unfortunately the other photos are old and I have no idea where they are from...

This board is what inspired me:

I love these colors together. I know I got this from Weddingbee, ~~although I'm not sure from who. I'm trying to get better about crediting...~~ Muahah! Found it!

Wanna be on top?

2009-01-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hey now, no dirty thoughts... if you are as ridiculous as me, you know that I'm singing the theme for America's Next Top Model. One plus to being unemployed and without a car is that I am able to watch ANTM marathons from beginning to end.

Another is that I can sit around and droll over pictures of things. I'm assembling some inspiration boards of color palettes that I've been dying over recently.

But I'll leave with another project that I have done a couple of times and love! It's a knitting needle and crochet hook holder. If you have a sewing machine, it's super simple to make and the second one I made for my grandma only took me a couple of hours.

If anyone is interested in making one I can give you the pattern and my tips, or if you want one and don't have a sewing machine if you pay for the supplies, I can definitely whip one up. :D

All rolled up, unroll for the needles

The flap on top keeps them from falling out. And there are different sizes and heights for different needles and hooks.

Laid flat out

I love this :)

Random

2009-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

These are pictures of the leg warmers that F bought me. I love them. I wear them as often as I can. I wear skirt and dresses just so I can wear them. They are much more popular in the UK than they are in the US (and in particular my suburban excuse for a city), and I do encounter some looks. But I don't care.

Please excuse my dirty mirror. And they look much better with tights, I don't wear them with jeans in public.

This was a project that I picked up after not having knitted for a really really (really) long time. It didn't end up being perfect and the yarn was probably to bulky, but I love them. I love being able to wear them and go about my day without having to pull off my gloves whenever I need fingers not covered by fabric. The yarn was $1.00 on sale, at Michaels I think. It's bright and really soft, two things I love.

Note the picture of the cherry trees in bloom in Vancouver BC

Holy crow

2009-01-23T22:55:00.000-08:00

Today marks the day 5 years ago that F and I went on our first date. I can't even believe it.

I made his card last night with an IOU for his present (I'll show you why in a second).

Front of the card included a picture of us from the first major family event we attended together. It was his cousin's wedding in September of 2004. It was also one of the only early pictures I have in digital. He still thinks he looks goofy, but he was 18 and I was 17.

My large kitten is helping me out. Check out his extreme paws.

Considering what needs to be done next.

The inside had a note, a quote, and a picture of us. The picture is one we took of ourselves right after he proposed in July 2008. I've blurred it because our love notes don't need to be on the internet.

Double checking for spelling mistakes.

His IOU! I wanted to get him a new coat, one that isn't a snow jacket or his hunting camouflage jacket, but because he is so tall and so skinny it's hard to find things that fit properly, so we are going to go shopping together for it on Sunday.

Beautiful boy.

My anniversary flowers. F brought me a dozen red roses that smell wonderful. He loves to give roses (I think) because he feels they are the ultimate romantic flower. I ran out to the backyard and grabbed some greenery. Tip for this is, grab greenery that has lots of texture.

F also offered me an IOU, but for jewelery. When we go shopping we are going to look around, but one of the choices he had was to get the diamond in my e-ring upgraded to a larger stone. Hmmm, we'll see.

Patriotic coffee

2009-01-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

I had chill-out time at Starbucks with a peppermint mocha and my latest read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Yummm...

Crappy picture I know (my cell's camera quality isn't great), but I loved that ~~those things that keep the coffee from burning yours hands (I'm sure there is a technical term for it)~~ the sleeves (! I just remembered) were red, white and blue with a FDR quote on it. Inauguration celebration!

But sitting at Starbucks makes me feel like I'm 5 years old again. I was sitting and waiting for my coffee and hearing drink orders like "Vente triple shot, non-fat, sugar free, vanilla, soy frappuccino" or "Iced Single Vente, Peppermint, Caramel Sauce Top, Light Ice, No whip, Mocha.". To tell you the truth, I think I'm missing the coffee gene... How does someone even realize that that is what they want? I know that Seattle is the coffee capital of the world (or so it thinks) and having pretty much grown up in Seattle, I don't know how I know absolutely nothing about coffee. I mean I've really only just recently even started drinking real coffee (as real as a mocha is) and I can only drink it with flavor or from a gas station drink station.

And just because I think I live in one of the most beautiful places in this giant country of ours... another crappy phone pic!

Back in the planning spirit

2009-01-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

Today F, FMIL, FSIL (who is also engaged) and myself went to the Portland Bridal Expo. There were SOOO many vendors there. We had lots of fun, ate lots of cake and got tons and tons of handouts. It's like the fairs they set up at then beginning of the quarters at colleges for new students, you come away with tons of crap and hope that some of it is useful. But I also got a few new magazines and a huge resource guide for Portland weddings and vendors. I regret not taking a picture of all the stuff I got, but I organized it all right away so it wouldn't sit on my floor forever.

BUT I can tell that F feels like he knows a lot more and will be more comfortable making wedding descisions. And we (pretty much, more later) made a hugely important one today. This all goes back to when we were first engaged. I had decided that I wanted a wedding that was green, pink and brown (before it got hugely popular, I might add), so I kind of just assumed that we would do that. But one day I realized that I had decided without really giving F a say and I didn't want our marriage to start out that way. So I asked F what he liked, and the poor boy, since he hates making the wrong choice about things, was really overwhelmed (hence all the inspiration boards about colors I made a while back, I might still have some to post). Now, today F realized the beauty of green, brown and pink and said that he would like that for the wedding. The problem is that after making those inspiration boards my eyes were opened to other color palettes and now I'm the one whose not ready to make the decision. We've narrowed it down though, we know we want to use green so it will either be green and brown, and green, black, and white.

Phew!! long story short, this is a huge step forward for us though! And F seems much more comfortable with the whole wedding process, and actually excited about it!

I also got some great ideas from the expo, and am feeling much more inspired!

And so this post isn't all text, one of the boards I made for F.

This one was a close contender, F and I both loved how these colors looked together. I was actually surprised at how much I liked this combo, I've always kind of hated blue in weddings, but I think you can make it less 80's and more classic modern (oxymoron?).

Constant

2009-01-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

So, I mentioned before that I have been very inspired by movies lately. I feel like I am constantly observing things around me in terms of the wedding, and movies provide a lot of inspiration. Today I have a few pictures from one of the movies I've watched recently: 27 Dresses. I know that's not a huge shock that it has inspired my wedding, considering it is about weddings, but it was really the everyday clothes that I loved, with one exception which I will save until the end.

First- The character of Tess This is her outfit and hair and makeup from her rehearsal dinner. I love love her hair here, it is loose, carefree, and yet still sophisticated. And her makeup is so natural looking. I actually loved most of what Tess wore throughout the movie.

Next is Jane (Katherine Heigl's) outfit from the rehearsal dinner.
It's kind of hard to see, but I love the shape and color of it. I would love this on my bridemaids if we choose brown. I love the belt- nummy. And her hair is very vintage, which I think is fantastic.

Last but not least, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Tess' wedding dress that she is supposed to wear, which has been made out of their mother's wedding dress.
Omg, how droolworthy is this dress? Simple, clean, flattering- everything I want. It has some lace on it, and a dramatic back, but it isn't too over the top. Plus, I found out, it has pockets!

It is, as I found on the blog titled Bondville "I hunted down the source, and it is the Reese dress from Amsale's Spring 2008 collection. Description: Silk Faille. Faille A-line gown with low sweetheart neckline and crystal beaded inset. Ruched detail at waistline and tulip skirt with sweep train."

::swoon::

Love love love!

2009-01-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

The new application that I found and downloaded makes me giggle and want to include it in every aspect of the wedding process... http://www.poladroid.net/ The polaroid project! Download the application, drag and drop your photos and wait while the polaroid camera turns it into a polaroid picture. You can even shake the photo to make it go faster. Then voila! A polaroid picture without having to buy a polaroid camera!

It makes me wonder about all the ways that I can use this for the wedding. Save the dates? Table numbers? Thank you cards? There are so many options!

First attempt

2009-01-13T20:28:00.001-08:00

Holy cow! I have FINALLY, after all these years of trying, have figured out how to install new fonts onto my computer! Yes!!! That will give me the option of being able to design stuff on my computer for the wedding. So this is my first attempt... what do you think?

Mea culpa

2009-01-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

I know I have been bad about updating this blog, but I have been so busy! Well, I have a few updates. First of all, I got to see my partner in crime, Mandie, IN PERSON, for lunch today!!! Very exciting, indeed.

Secondly, in my typical pattern, indecisiveness has set in. I am no longer committed to the dress that I found a few months ago. With such a long engagement, it's hard to settle on anything "for sure" these days! In any case, I am keeping my eyes peeled for something unique, casual, and fun. Oy, one thing is definite: I think I am shelving David's Bridal for awhile (indefinitely?). I think that most of the dresses are just so awful in those stores that you end up "falling in love" with the one that is the least garish of the bunch. I know I've been guilty of this on more than one occasion! DB's redeeming quality is their Dress Your Wedding function, in which you can make your entire wedding party resemble tan Barbie dolls. But seriously, it is kind of fun to play around with the options, as limited as they are. After spending some time dressing my wedding, I decided to abandon strict colors in favor of a much broader pallet, and refuse the WIC's conspiracy to sell uniforms for the wedding party.

One of my friends is getting married this April at The Chrysalis, in Bellingham. This venue is absolutely beautiful, and I am looking forward to seeing a real life wedding in there. She's DIYing a lot of things, and while I am slacking off on my own wedding planning, it is fun being involved with her extravaganza!

My wedding is floating out in 2010 somewhere, but I am really enjoying my engagement. I am half-way through my M. Ed. at the end of this month, and my other half is graduating with his in June. I am proud of both of us. If we can survive this, can we survive planning a wedding? Only time will tell!

dream dress

2009-01-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so jealous that Anna has found her dress!! I haven't really gone out looking, but I have to admit that I'm a little uninspired to do so based on the dresses I'm seeing for sale online, or on tv, and in real weddings. I'm a plain kind of girl, I don't like excessive beading, or really beading of any kind. I'm not a fan of embroidery, or many many shapes of dresses. I felt overwhelmed and uninspired, two feelings that aren't the best together. Then I found this cool website http://weddings.ivillage.com/ where you can "build your dream dress". It gives you a drawn person who you can change the shape of to look more like you, and then many different bodices, skirts, ribbons, veils etc etc etc so I designed a couple of came to some conclusions.

Sweetheart neckline with a dropped waist ball gown skirt and chocolate bow

Sweetheart neckline, with a dropped waist ball gown skirt and big bow

Sweetheart neckline with gathered skirt

Sweetheart neckline, ball gown skirt with box pleats

Conclusions: I love a sweetheart neckline. I think it is simple, beautiful, and will be extremely flattering to my ta-tas. So I'm going to have to search hard for it because I haven't seen a lot of these around. I really like the drop skirt, but I'm not sure how flattering it would be on my hips, but you never know until you try. I do know that I like how the gathered skirt looks on me.

I mean, I have plenty of time to find my dress so I just need to keep my eye out for exactly what I want, but hopefully that will be easier now.

Go play on this website, much fun!

Blue skies shining on me

2009-01-07T01:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I make myself think of that song when we are having the weather we're having... flood warnings on the horizon.

I have a new problem. Something I do that I know I shouldn't do, yet continue to do anyway. I fall in love with photographers. Like head-first, sigh-invoking, undying adoration. Poor F, still first in my life, but it's a close tie. Now, more than just the obvious problem with this (love with inanimate, online objects isn't enough?), the problem is that I fall in love with them before I check the price tags. F and I are doing things on a budget because we are probably financing most, if not all, of the wedding on our own. Actually, I'm thinking less than budget, we're doing things on the cheap. Unfortunately I have a certain level of class and elegance that I want on the cheap. So where does that leave us with photography? It is an expensive reminder of an important day and it is something I can't part with. Some brides go with the informal route by relying only on photos taken by friends and family, but I can't. I want that wide-skied, enlarged on canvas shot that makes F and I look amazing.

So what are my other options? Young photographer looking for new business is also an option, but due to our long engagement I can't start looking for them quite yet, but I want to get this nailed down.

Splurge more on photography than I planned is another option. But I want good photography for a good price, I just can't see myself spending $4000 on photography!

Oh, and the way I judge good photography? If they include a photo on their blog that is black and white, with something (usually roses) in color, I immediately close the web page.

Sigh.

Miss Penny Lane

2009-01-05T02:06:00.000-08:00

I have been obsessed with movies lately. I don't know if it's the cold that is making me want to hibernate with a movie on (with snow starting to fall again!), or what. I've been drawing a lot of inspiration for the wedding from movies... some make sense and some are more random. I'm trying to get some really good shots, but I'm still collecting them so I'll make that my next post. Look forward to Mamma Mia, 27 Dresses among others.

Welcome to the new year! It is going to be a year of significant changes for me. Graduating from college and trying to find a job, applying for grad school, planning a wedding, moving out and moving in, finding time for creative endeavors and physical ones too. I've made a list of sorts; a list of goals- not resolutions- but goals. I haven't made resolutions in years, I consider those something that are made to be broken since they are never considered in exactly a positive light. For immediate goals in terms of wedding planning are finding a venue and setting a date. Also I want to sit down with F and prioritize where finances need to be spent.

Speaking of F, I need a little vent session. One of my biggest pet peeves since becoming engaged is having people 'remind' me to call F "fiance". F and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary this month (!!!) and for the majority of this relationship my main nickname for him has been "boyfriend" or I shorten it to "BF", and in turn he calls me "girlfriend". So as you can imagine, it gets a little tiring when I refer to something "my boyfriend did" and people laughingly say "not boyfriend" or "you mean, fiance?". Technically, I guess yes I do mean that, but I assume if you are a friend or family member, you are aware of this nickname I have for him. And when I say I don't really like the label "fiance" I get bizarre looks. That term is just not us. Irritation ensues.

In other news, I have found a new beautiful, if not dangerous, website. Beautiful because of the amazing vintage creations, dangerous because of the price tags. Trashy Diva creations.

Love the print on this one!

Beautiful top, with the puckering

I love this coloring on this one, and it is on sale!

I think I'm drooling.

Wow...

2008-12-27T11:57:00.001-08:00

Apparently it has been over a month since there was a new post on this blog, but it doesn't feel like it! It has been a crazy crazy last month for me. I have just returned from my study abroad adventure, and was thrown straight into Christmas. I only had one hiccup in my travels back and that was in Chicago- my flight got canceled and I spent the night in the O'hare airport! But I was luckily able to get back home before the really bad weather hit there... The day after I got home the snow started; the snow, oh my goodness. We have had record breaking amounts of snowfall for December. It was fun and pretty at first, but mostly annoying and ridiculous now.

But now that that is all over with, it is time to return to the real world :sigh: "Recent college grad searches for job, plans wedding, and organizes life" That is my headline from now on. Plus I need to catch up on my American tv! Ha :)

Speaking of catching up, with the craziness that was the end of the term with traveling and writing more than I thought possible... I let my Google reader go. And now it is just out of control. It was over 1000 new entries after the first week, and now I've been putting off just sitting down and going through it... I've got to man up and do it! I think I'm going to find a way to organize it, is it possible to have more than one? My wedding blogs are a little overwhelming at this point.

I've also discovered a sick love affair that I never thought I would have. Actually, make that two.

The first:

Leg warmers.

F got me some for Christmas, they sort of look like the ones pictures above (which are from Monsoon/Accessorize ... which I sadly no longer have access too), they are that cream color with the cable knit pattern. But I love them! I wore them with my thick brown tights, jean skirt, and brown men's jumper from H&M. I was warm, even though it was freezing out. Very retro, but I love them anyway.

Second thing: Martha Stewart Weddings
I have never really been a huge Martha Stewart fan (and not just for her criminal record), but I've always thought she was a little out of touch for the everyday person. But now. Now. I realize her creative genius! Her wedding magazine is mouth-watering, and her website is beautiful! There are so many items of inspiration on that web page, it is hard to not get back into wedding planning with zest!

I'm still collecting wedding inspiration. But I have been trying to keep creative. I knit myself a pair of fingerless gloves that I absolutely love and will post a picture of later. And I used my sewing skills and made a knitting needle holder for my grandmother.

And I've been reading the Twilight series... And so has my mother...

10-10-10

2008-11-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

Yep... we're keeping this date.

This weekend was all about getting the parents on board: mission accomplished.

-Anna

2008-11-04T03:46:00.000-08:00

This is the most important election America has seen in a long time... make sure your voice is heard. VOTE!

2008-11-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

New board for today: Green and cream

And this really cool website I found on What Junebug Loves

Wordle! Put text in and it randomizes it, but you can also edit the colors and the layout (to an extent). This could definitely be helpful when creating invitations and save the dates. Plus, it's also just a fun time :D

Yay!

2008-11-01T16:38:00.001-07:00

2009...?
I found the dress! It's a white cocktail-length vintage-looking dress. I'm going to wear it with a birdcage veil.

I'm going along with Plan A, after all. Autumn brunch wedding in the Pacific Northwest. Classy yet relaxed.

Cake replaced by a pastry tower.

Fiance is on board.

-Anna

I think I know where I am getting married

2008-10-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

After many good discussions with some of my young married friends, I have realized that weddings (hopefully) only happen once and should include everything you want. As October ends, I realize that this will always be the most beautiful time of the year, and I love it. I always will. So Fiance and I are getting married on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10), at the Deming Log Show Grounds in Deming, WA. Deming is a small town on the way to Mt. Baker. The venue is huge, it's out in nature, there is a grand hall (referred to as "the museum"), and a 24 hour rental costs $500.00. SOLD.

I haven't made the reservation yet, but this is where it will be. I have a feeling about this one... and it will be the wedding that I have always wanted, with fall colors and a fire in the fireplace and a lace dress. We will be out there in the most beautiful corner of the earth, with the leaves changing to orange and red and the fog of the North Cascades rolling in.

I have to say that most of my inspiration to follow my heart came from my good friend, Jana. We are in grad school together, and she just celebrated her third wedding anniversary. She and her husband were married on their favorite beach at Deception Pass in early September. The wedding wore flip-flops and the colors were white, tan, and a bright yellow. Guests sat on arranged driftwood. Instead of a unity candle, Jana and her husband each poured a jar of sand from the beach into a larger glass container (which they still have). It is the incorporation of nature and the simplicity that comes across as the most memorable from that wedding.

Exciting news--I am trying on wedding dresses tomorrow!

Sometimes I wish our wedding were next year ('09), but sometimes I am thankful for the time. Hmmm... I wonder...

~Anna