{diy} initial wreath

saw this yesterday over at design sponge and thought about how lovely this would be for a fall ceremony..and looks easy too!

{diy} 'rose' stamps.

from martha, of course.

{diy} stamps, wishes, and thank you's..

if you are a diy bride, and you have not yet discovered the wonderful world of rubber stamps...well, let's just say..read on..

i love them. i have found so many uses for them and have found myself addicted. first off, i used them for my save-the-dates and my invites..now i will be using them for my "wishbowl," thank you notes, and sachets..check it out:

wishbowl - n. apothecary (or other fancy jar) for your guest to place wishes, advice, or other notes inside..this takes the place of the traditional guestbook. we aren't opening ours until our 1 year (paper) anniversary.

so our guests can choose from one of these cards (hand stamped by yours truly):


and place it in the jar(s):

from here.

i also used the stamps for my thank you notes..which i hope to get a head start on before the big day:


and last, but not least..if you remember, i have a ton of leftover rosemary from the confetti project...with some great advice from my readers, i decided to make little sachets for my luggage, bm's and moms:


with all the stamping madness..i think elvis (my pug) is afraid he's next!

{woohoo!} butterflies-a-flutterin'..

heck ya! i'm getting married this month!

omg. i am so nervous. nervous that it might rain. what a bummer that would be..or nervous that i get pig flu and sneeze instead of saying "i do"...

and i'm pleased to announce that my programs are about finished..just have to print, stamp, and cut! here's a little preview:

front: cast & crew, ceremony ... back: letter for the parents, meaning of rosemary...all printed on the same cardstock as the invites. thanks to my co-worker friend for giving me a good "kick in the pants" (as she called it).

happy weekend everyone...

{final countdown} this time next month..

i will be in nashvegas..running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done..and i am..panicking. crap! i have sooo much to do y'all. for reals. here's the breakdown:

1. programs! - and i am so dreading this part for some reason. i am completely uninspired and i have no desire to make them fancy..(i am diy'd out!).

2. wish bowl papers. - instead of a guest book, we are having a "wish bowl" and i need to find pretty paper for our guests to write their wishes on.

3. candles. i need several votives already in glass. i would love to get beeswax (mostly for the beautiful color and slight smell of honey)..but daaang. they aren't cheap. i also need several tall candles to go in the fireplace.

4. final dress fitting on monday! this i am excited for!

5. make my bm's necklaces. i have the stuff..i just need to do it!

6. get started on thank you cards. for serious. we've received so many great little gifts already.

7. buy my perfume!

8. get my man his wedding day gift. i wish i could share it with you all..but i know he reads my blog..so that ain't gonna happen. it's truly perfect..y'all would die..

9. beauty prep. hair, nails, facial. you know..the works.

and that's the stuff i need to get done before nashville..there's a whole 'nother list of things to do once i get there. and i'm tired already.

can i get it done?

{invites} wax seal

last night, i finished up my invites and they are ready to be hand cancelled (a must when using wax seals) and sent out the door! to be honest, i'm worried about the little guys..i've worked so hard on them and it's tough to see them go out into the world..

but i digress.

i had some trouble figuring out the whole wax seal thing and wanted to share with you my tips and tricks if you plan on doing them yourself..

1st, using my glue stick, i touched a dab of glue on just the end of the flap. i only used it on the end because i did not want my guests to have to tear open the envelope, thus tearing the beautiful liner i worked so hard on. this also helped to keep the envelope flap in place as i used the wax:

2nd, i used wax that can be put in a glue gun, however, i have a mini glue gun, so the huge wax sticks would not fit into mine. boo. i was not about to admit defeat! so i used a lighter to heat the wax/glue. tips for using the lighter: don't place the stick directly in the flame. it will catch on fire. it will also turn your wax/glue black, which you don't really want, otherwise you would have ordered black wax..right? turn the stick back and forth constantly..you will know it's ready by looking at it..it looks soft and gooey..

sorry for the bad pic..but you get the idea, right?

once the wax is soft, pretend it's a crayon and draw a little circle on the flap of the envelope where you want it to seal. for me, the first coat wasn't thick enough:

so i repeated this step. the first time i drew clockwise circles, and the second time, counter-clockwise. just to be sure to get an even coating of the wax. make sure your seal is nearby and facing the way you want when you go to grab it. i use my right hand to "color" the wax and then moved it to my left as i grabbed the seal. you will need to do this somewhat quickly, and make sure you don't have a window open or a fan going as it will dry the wax quicker. then simply press your seal into the wax and hold it there for about 5 seconds:


and voila! they didn't all turn out perfect, and yours probably won't either. it's okay. i don't think they are supposed to be perfect. it took me about 10 envelopes before i really started to get the hang of it. so definitely practice. it took me less than 2 sticks to do 90 envelopes..oh and my thumb hates me today (from using the lighter).

happy waxing!

{invites} sweet suite!

you guys..i am so excited! i just picked up our trial invites from the print shop today...and of course the first thing i did when i got home was stamp them up and put it together...what do you think?

the entire suite together:

closeup of the invite:

closeup of the map:


closeup of the rsvp:


closeup of the rehearsal dinner rsvp:


and of course, the lined envelope! (here's my tutorial on diy envelope liners)


sorry for the not-so-great photos, but i'm oh so excited! they look really pretty in person... so us.

{diy} hooray for chandelier ears...

I just finished making these & i even tried them on with my dress...i know i got problems..


and you know what? it's perfect!!

{diy} christmas idea..

taking a break from wedding stress, i'm trying to focus on my favorite holiday of the year. although, it's a bit tough when you don't have a tree yet, haven't dug out the cd's, or slapped the reindeer antlers on the pug ... maybe looking at last year's pics will help:


yup. that does it. and to kick of the christmas diy list...here's one that won't break the bank:


behold: snow! well, as close to it as i'll ever get. check out the how to here.

{diy} framing it up...update

remember this post? we finally hung them on the wall...and we even have a little room to grow...

here they are on the wall:

here the are in the room:

hey..who is that handsome man watching football??

{ideas} $500 or less contest

a while back, diy bride posted a contest for an inspiration board that included a dress, accessories, and shoes for a bride that would cost less than $500. I sent one in immediately, and it's finally posted on the site! There are lots of other creative ideas, so if you are looking for a way to cut down on cost, definitely check it out. here's mine:

{diy} cake toppers..almost there!

here is where i am with the cake topper:

front.
back.

fh thinks it needs some more...stuff. flowers, shrubbery, etc. but i kind of like it simple..the only thing i know it needs is something around the base. i originally wanted to do cinnamon sticks..but i can't cut them short enough without breaking.

any ideas?

{diy} cake toppers...have faces.

so..here they are!!


now for the base...

{diy} framing it up...

i wanted to post these really quick...so you all won't be mad at me for neglectin' ya!


what you need:

1. a few of your favorite wine labels. we got ours from bonny doon winery in the santa cruz mountains..they sell them as sheets of 8 stickers for $2.00. = $.25 a piece.

2. decorative paper from paper source. $1.50 a sheet..you can get almost 4 frame backings from 1 sheet of paper.

3. frames from tj maxx. about $7.00 a piece.

so...for less than $10 a piece, you can have memorable, decorative pieces to fill your wall! we have several wine labels from our favorite wines we share together and plan to fill one of our blank walls with all of them.

happy diy-ing!!

{diy} clothing the cake toppers...

well...i've finally put some clothes on...my cake toppers that is. my fh laughs at them, but i think they are pretty darn cute:


next..painting faces...

{diy} up next...

caketoppers!

started my next big diy project..stay tuned for updates on this big (but fun...so far) project.

{diy} is it getting out of control?

i had another wedding dream last night...not too bad...i was incredibly happy...and was helping 3 little flower girls (i have no idea who these kids were) cross the street. i was wearing my wedding gown and carrying a bouquet...i could feel the big smile on my face...when i reached the wedding site, my FH asked me where the cake-topper was that i was supposed to make. i laughed as i said, "oh, i guess i never made it."

i hope that's how it goes down when something goes 'wrong.'

here is my diy list thus far:

1. std's & envelope liners (done for the most part)
3. invites (unless i miraculously win some fab letterpress contest) le sigh.
4. cake-topper - totally stole this idea from patch nyc whose cake-toppers start at $500!

5. hair flowers for myself, the maids, and the moms. (6 total).


6. necklaces for the maids.


7. wedding signs (totally volunteered my dad for this one)


8. centerpieces


if you are the source, or if you know the source of these images, please let me know so that i can give credit.

and I'm thinking of adding these lovely programs from martha to the mix:


whew. what do you think? am i in over my head?

{invites} save the dates:almost finished!

so, initially i told my fh(future hubby) that i was not going to post a picture of the std's until after they were sent out. but, i can't help it. besides...i think i need some help...

i spent most of last night hand stamping and circling the date on the cards..i got about half way thru (i hope to finish the rest by this weekend). we don't quite have our guest list totally finalized, which is probably a good thing, because i really don't know how i'm going to label these babies and can use the extra time to figure that out...i really wanted to do the wrap-around labels showcased on martha's wedding website, but i really don't want to purchase a sticker machine. so i bought these soft white oval labels at paper source. i think these will look great with the gray font used on the std's for the guests address. here's my problem...i don't want to lick (for lack of a better word) the envelopes shut, because i don't want them to be ripped open. i really want my guest to be able to appreciate the lining that i worked so hard on:


here is a close up of the card:


so...any good ideas out there on how i can close up the back of the envelope to keep the lining from getting ripped?

{diy} envelope liners

i am so excited to share my experience with my diy envelope liners! at first i was unsure that they would ever turn out as pretty as i wanted them to. but lo and behold...they are even more beautiful than i had expected!

materials needed:

1. 100 envelopes + 1 for making a template (shown: paper source in curry)
2. 20 sheets of fabulous paper (shown: found in store, size 12 x 12)
3. Utility blade (i had one in my toolbox, but you can get one here
4. scotch wrinkle free glue stick
5. an old magazine or thick catalog for cutting on
6. a pencil for tracing

first, you will need to make a template. you can buy the templates at paper source for about $10. but..i am a thrifty girl. by not using the pre-made templates, i saved myself 10 bucks & was able to get 5 liners from 1 sheet as opposed to 3 maybe 4 from 1 sheet...

using the utility blade, cut the envelope horizontially just below the visible portion. then you will cut around the flap, just underneath the sticky part:


now you are ready to trace your first sheet. turn the paper over and trace your template on to the paper with your pencil. i was able to fit 5 on one sheet by placing 2 side by side, 1 on each remaining corner, and one in the middle.

using your utility blade, cut each liner by tracing the lines. don't worry, it won't be perfect! that's what gives it it's homemade charm. be sure to remember to cut on the old magazine or catalog so you don't ruin your lovely table.

next, fit a liner into an envelope and fold over when it is where you want it. using your wrinkle free glue stick, get glue happy with the top portion of the liner and press back on the flap firmly. let your envelope dry before you fold it over again.



and voila! beautiful and thrifty envelopes for your soon to be homemade save the dates! (or invitations) ..coming soon...


cost:
envelopes: $3.50 for pack of 10 (x 10) = $35
paper: .95 a sheet (x 20) = $19
glue stick: ~$3.00
old catalog: FREE
utility blade: FREE
total cost: ~$55

time:
3 days at 3 hours a night. not too bad, and i did this while watching mad men, project runway, and drinking a glass of wine. :)

please let me know if you have any questions concerning your own envelope liners. happy diy!!