More cuteness ahead

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?

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

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

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

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Have I mentioned that I love color and texture?

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And that I love yellow and succulents?

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More vintage glam?
Yes please.

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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.

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Droolworthy, all of them.

deconstructing jewish weddings

"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

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

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

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

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

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

art deco musings

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!

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

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.