save the date.

save the dates are ordered!

let me just say that my stationers are amazing. she not only created SEVERAL amazing mock ups of our save the dates, but she also created a wedding logo for us.

i asked them to make one and they ended up creating about 15 for us to choose from.

i'll unveil it soon!

royal wedding obsession.

tea. scones. fascinators.

sign me up.

why is it that they can wear ridiculous headpieces and it's considered classy, but we wear them and its considered a costume?

i'm now toying with the idea of forcing my wedding guests to wear hats.

i hope kevin is ok with that...

the diy madness has begun!

it's amazing how far a little bit of paint and glue gun can go. and im not talking just wedding stuff, this time, either!

i made these boutenierre's for my best friend's shower. there was a mom-to-be one and a grandmother-to-be one. they loved them!

so now, i've become a bit obsessed.

i see something old and my brain automatically turns to thoughts like: "can i make that pretty?" "i wonder if i glue a little something there and wrap a little something over this...?"

i'm noticing lighting fixtures in restaurants. i'm wiping cobwebs off antiques in mom's attic. i'm seeing new things in magazines and wondering how i can replicate them with a bit of sandpaper and a good yard sale find.

to be honest, it's exhausting.

my latest feat are white candlesticks.

all that is needed is a can of brown spray paint and a can of ivory spray paint. start with brown, finish with white and wipe off in strategic places. i attempted this last week. they turned out great and the only suffered casuality was mom's now-white patio table (im getting mineral spirits for it on my way home tonight, mom...promise.)

so be on the lookout. you'll be surprised what you can replicate just by looking at something and getting a bit creative!

beefy bride.

flabby arms are NOT ok. back fat is DEFINITELY not ok.

this is the thought process that has been going through my head now for months, among other things.

but what to DO about it?

don't get me wrong, its not just my arms or back that needs work - i need an overall over haul. nothing like a wedding to make that happen!

together with my girlfriend, sarah, we created a food and exercise journal. being a journalism major and a chronic list maker, this is the perfect tool for me! below is a sample of one of the pages. together we went on a trip to the ever-amazing target and bought matching binders and dividers. each divider holds its own little peice of magic. food journal (below), pictures (ack!!), weekly recap, recipes, excercises and measurements.

we daily fill out our food journal and compare them to each other every week. talk about accountability! i even have a place where we write down the excuses we made for ourselves - we have to share those too... and believe me, those can hurt to read out loud!

im seriously thinking about marketing these journals, selling them somewhere. thoughts?

every day at lunch, sarah and i go down to the gym and work the weights. we alternate arms and legs every other day, taking friday off. on top of THAT, i go home 3-4 days a week and do my Couch to 5K program with my trusty iphone. have i mentioned lately how obsessed i am with that app?

my goal is to be able to run a 5k without stopping to walk. sounds easy right?  not if you're as out of shape as i am.

my prize? beyond the pride that will come with said 5K, i've told myself that when i run my first race, i'll go out that day and buy a sticker to put on my car that labels me a runner. may sound small, but that will be important to me.

save the date dilemma

sso, i made the mistake of waiting to book our engagement photo session with our amazing photographer evin. Sweet mommy-to-be is on maternity leave!

the question remains to be seen... to put a photo on our save the date or not?

our stationers, Designs in Paper has made several gorgeous mock ups for us... some with room for a photo some without. To me, save the dates feel more formal withOUT a photo, but that may just be me.

thoughts?

yard sale divas.

i may be almost 30, but im just now discovering the beauty of yard sales... sad.

my girlfriend sarah smith is to be credited for introducing me to it (insert kudos here) and we've spent a couple crisp saturday mornings on the prowl for "the big sale." i, of course, have wedding on the brain so ive been looking for such items.

and, believe it or not, i've actually found several items to use for the wedding!

i don't want to divulge TOO many of the wedding details here, but we are doing a dessert bar. an opulent dessert bar needs opulent desserts, and opulent desserts need opulent containers to hold them! like every other dessert bar out there, apothecary jars are the business of the day. but i also wanted to mix in some other types of containers (clear glass and "shabby-chic" white porcelain) and the yard sale-ing allowed me to do just that.

several of these sales had "$1.00 and under" tables... at one in particular i found a great little candy dish. by the design of it, it obviously sat on a little old ladies coffee table and held pastel-colored almonds.

at least, that's what i'm imagining.

so now it will have a new life!

i've outiftted several of the dessert bar vessels from similar yard sales. being quite the bargainista by nature, i was thrilled. the remaining containers mom and i found at the tj maxx home goods store... be jealous if you don't have one of those - it's incredible!

chalkboard bottles

time for another craft!

i created these wine bottles for my girlfriend's shower this past summer and they've been a huge hit! i've actually loaned them to other friends of mine who have wanted to use them for their parties and events! i'm hoping to use them somehow at my own wedding, but can't quite figure out where they'll go.

how to create:

1. best part of the whole process, drink a lot of wine!! save the bottles of course.

2. soak the bottles in warm water and soap. the longer you soak, the easier it'll be to remove the labels. i used a small, stiff-bristled brush.

3. allow to dry, and then wipe clean.

4. spray with a black chalkboard paint (from any craft store) from a distance of about 8 inches. any close and it'll run.

5. allow to dry

6. decorate with white chalk