Peace Garlands (by Beauty Everyday)

Garlands! I'm doing mine 4 for every yard. Hmmm...this looks better. Oh well!

This pictures is from the lovely etsy shop (and such a great name!) Beauty Everyday.

(via: Etsy Love)

Also, why am I not visiting Etsy Love every day? Goooood question!

I'm not accusing, I'm just asking.

In the summer Z and I try and ride our bikes to and from work. This is fantastic exercise and gives us 6 miles to just chat before we hit the busy 3 miles of highway. However, sometimes bike chatting isn't the easiest kind, and miscommunication can take place when eye contact cannot. There is clearly a lot of wedding in my brain and sometimes between times I share ideas with him ideas have changed. He is great with rolling with most of the punches, but when he thought that suddenly I had decided the men's suits needed to match the table clothes, his ears perks up in an "Excuse me?!"

When we started the planning process we set down some very basic ideas. This means there are a lot of things the wedding won't be. It won't be expensive. It won't be flashy. It won't be obsessed with coordinating colors. There is nothing wrong with any of those things; they just aren't for us. These are ideas we both agreed to easily.

I realized in the discussion that stemmed from Friday's biking miscommunication that I have a terrible habit (terrible for me, terrible for Zach) of assuming if Z has a comment or a question of many of my wedding ideas I very quickly think he thinks I'm changing the entire wedding to the entire list of things we said we didn't want, and ergo he thinks I'm a terrible and selfish (not to mention shallow) person. It sounds funny when I write it out. It's equally ridiculous in my brain...but only when I realize what is actually happening and not just reacting to the emotions I feel.

Wedding discussions specifically clarified a bad habit I have in other conversations we have. It's good to have edges on a bad habit. Hopefully I can catch myself next time (wedding related or not) and remember that he doesn't think I'm a trite human being. He just wants to know if I'm seriously saying the suits and table cloths have to be the same thread count. (I was not nor will ever.)

Who knew all those chemicals that keep us breathing could also cause us to much trouble?

Thumbprint Tree (via Grey Likes Weddings Blog)

I LOVE this idea! How great is it! And then when all the guests have gone home and all the thank you cads written, they have this beautiful poster to remind them of all that love. Fantastic! The artwork (and I'm guessing idea) was done by the bride, Cassie. Check out her other cool handiwork on Grey Likes Weddings Blog.

Hanging Beads (via Oh So Beautiful Paper)

I love the beads as a centerpiece. I assumed they were not chandeliers but instead originated from a structure on the table. However, I still can't quite tell.

This wouldn't work so well for an outside wedding (wind) but I think it's just so elegant.

This is from an excursion OhSoBeautifulPaper went on organized by Brides.com. The table is the work of David Beahm Designs.

Paper Chains (via Oh So Beautiful Paper)

I did yards and yards of paper chains for the 2009 New Years Party and loved them with white. (Or why I still have a giant plastic bag of them in my car. *ahem*) I considered spray painting them with a fine layer of pink and gold, etc. Maybe if I started with sheets of newspaper, spray painted them with giant stencils and random colors, and then cut them up. Hmmm... Winter is going to consist a lot of me spray painting in a cold cold field. But seriously, look at how cool they look with patterned paper!

Lettering Play

This isn't anywhere close to what we're doing, but sometimes it's just fun to play with another artist's type style. Here I'm butchering Richard Perez's.

I'm trying to learn how to use Illustrator WITH Photoshop. Rough roads ahead people. Rough roads. :)

Bachelorettes

I went to like my 3rd bachelorette party ever last weekend and it was a ton of fun. I don't know the bride very well but we both know that we'd probably be good friends if we lived in the same city. I was honored to be invited. Truly a fabulous group of women. And of course, for the occasion, well, here are the creations. I'm pretty proud of the outcome. I've made the corsets before as gifts when I crewed the local theater's Chicago. I'm really excited that I now have the design to use in events such as these!

You could be paper.

Here's the flower (from our neighbors to the south) that's inspired all the crape paper goodness. I will try this one when I get home from our 4 day PDX shoot. (That's where I am right now!)

I made the comment to Z that I really like some of the tissue/crape paper flowers but I think my favorites for the tables are the fabric flowers. Together they look kind of odd and it's too bad we can't use them all.

Without a beat he says, "Just put different types of flowers in different parts of the yard."

So simple..and yet I may have never gotten there. The brain is a strange series of channels. Once you start in a direction, it's hard to jump tracks.

Crape Paper Flower Try 2

Here is another crape paper flower attempt.

The stem is a thick floral wire and green duct tape.

Figs (by Jennifer Davick)

Normally don't post food but this is so beautiful. (Also there is a recipe.)

Jennifer Davick is a food photographer who works at Southern Living Magazine. She also has a food blog. Amazing.

(via Design*Sponge)

Crape Paper Flower Try 1

This is something I tried very quickly. I need to do practice flowers in a color other than white.

(Also I'm trying to learn to mix vectors with real photography so bear with me while I figure it out :)

Progess Check 1

Weekly look at the progress I'm making (or not making.)

Save the dates-
Have fronts almost completely designed with one exception (flags vs stamps).
Need to make or buy envelopes (I like the idea of making them but we shall see)
Need to collect addresses

Invitations-
Have begun on design sketches

Flags
Measured the yard and I have:
164.5 ft w/o the ceremony lawn
360 ft of the ceremony lawn by itself (60 feet on both sides time 3 tiers)
whopping total 524.5ft or 174.83 yards.

So if that's 5 flags per yard (which it should probably be more) that's 875 flags.

Right now I have probably 100, maybe more cut out. This is TOTALLY doable!

Programs
Playing with design ideas

Bouquets/boutonnieres- Nothing

Tables- flowers, decorations, etc
Have some beginning attempts scattered through our dining/livingroom

Favors (a label)-Nothing

2 Installations
Collecting ideas

photobooth- Nothing

Side Bun (via Wedding Bee)

I'm starting to really love the side bun. Here is a style modeled by the oh so cute bride to be Miss Cowboy Boot on WeddingBee blog. I'd even consider cutting my bangs for this. (I said *consider*)

A Plan

Last night I mapped out the DIY component to Aug 14th (The Day). It's amazing the difference between having ideas swimming around in your head vs a piece of paper. Concrete. What has seemed so intangible and overwhelming now seems totally possible.

Here's the list (in order of importance):

Save the dates
Invitations
Flags
Programs
Bouquets/boutonnieres
Tables- flowers, decorations, etc
Favors (a label)
2 Installations

What's already proved great about this is that I have a lot of installation ideas and now every time one comes up I can say to myself, "That would be great. Is it one of the two?" Maybe in the end it is. Maybe in the end it isn't.

Chandelier? Maybe yes maybe no.
Card wrack with thank you letters? Maybe yes maybe no.
Giant chalkboard? Maybe yes maybe no.

Oh damn. In the time Ive written this I've realized I've needed to add 2 more things to the list: photo booth and escort cards. Although maybe we can just make the programs the escort cards. Oh, and also behind the altar and around the bathroom. OK. I see where this is going. Well, that's why I have the list. I will figure out where those go on the priorities list.

Also, in the spirit of organization and keeping to a schedule, probably once a week (every other week?) I'm going to post my list and keep track of where I am in each. That's proved really useful other places.

Eco Chic Wedding (via StyleMePretty) (<--and it is!)

These are the kind of weddings that I need to keep an eye out for. I love the look of everything. It has an incredible personal touch and feel.

I can't seem to find the bride and groom's names, which probably means they are right in front of me.
Part I
Part II
Part III Photography by The Nichols

Chandeliers (via Details Details)

Another incredible picture from Details Details leads to inspiration. See those wonderful lights? I'm wondering if one could make something similar with either hoola hoops or giant cross stitch circles. A little spray paint. Some wire. Some magical battery powered tea votives and wallah?

OK, it probably wouldn't be quite wallah, but worth a try!

Flowers (by Details Details)

This is from the events planning company Details Details. Their work is clearly incredible.

Looking at this centerpiece I begin to wonder if it's something that can be done with branches and paper flowers? Oh, and clearly a loooot of time. Hmmm.....

green candy

I really love the idea of a candy table. I'll admit, it's almost purely because of the design reasons. Most likely no one would eat said candy...accept me pre and post wedding. But I do love those visuals.

More great candy design gathered by Katie at Always A Blogsmaid

Image from Amy Atlas Events (Seriously, follow the link. You will regret not doing it :)

Pie Dresser (by Brides Northern California)

So many things about this are the perfect wedding in my eyes (from decor standpoint). One of my first ideas for the wedding was to have free standing furniture sprinkled through out the yard. Our budget probably won't be able to afford it, but I still love the idea. Maybe some future garden party.

This is from the same Brides Northern California shoot styled by the incredible Lisa Lefkowitz.

(via StyleMePretty)

MixMatch (from Brides Northern California)

Apparently I need to search "vintage shabby chic wedding shoot" in Style Me Pretty b/c I will come up with a lot of lovely lovely things.

These images are from a shoot for the magazine Brides Northern California. I will be in Northern California at the end of the September and may have to try and find the issue.

I love the mix match feel. The tiny flags are an adorable touch.

Owl Pin (via Banjolele)

This is beyond cute and would make a fantastic ornament.

Blog Trail: Banjolele via Ffffound

Lantern Tutorial (via Decor8)

Yes this comes with a tutorial. How fantastic!
Thank you Livy and Decor8!

Also, I was about to say that while I love these, I'm not a fan of fire...in August. BUT at the end of the post she says that these are battery powered tea lights. What?!?! What magic do you speak of?

So now, ahem, the K/Z Wedding: Brought to You by Battery Powered Tea Lights.

Picture Frame Chalkboard (by Me)

So back in this post, I talked about making your own chalkboards. Here's my test run. It's simply a 99 cent picture frame, matte board and chalkboard paint. Z made the comment that if I decide to do this, I better use round frames otherwise we should just buy the square chalkboards because it would be cheaper from a time/money standpoint. Maybe....*maybe*

But now I need to find a REALLY COOL (and giant) frame. Even a rectangle one. Endless possibilities. Endless.

Moss Letters!

I love letters. I love that weddings allow a place to put them to inventive uses.

This is the work of Grosgrain Bride. She has a tutorial on her site.

(via Style Me Pretty)

Hattie Newman (via Design*Sponge)

Some days I look on the blogs and see all the things we've been thinking about for our wedding. I think, "Oh, it's been done. So then if I do it I'm copying." And then I think, "Just because it's been done doesn't mean...right?" Followed quickly by, "It doesn't freak'n matter. Calm down!" And after I get to stage 3 I can feel free just to love what I see and dreamily muse, "People are talented. Life is great."

That said, I now love Hattie Newman. Also, I love this tree.

There is a tree that is going to look not quite similar but a similar idea come next August. I've already claimed dibs to a particular tree in my parents' yard. If it gets cut, it is NOT (I repeat NOT) going into the chopper. (Also apparently not into our apartment so finding an interim home may be a challenge.) Or if it doesn't get cut, I have been given permission to decorate it's little tree skeleton. This means I will have a hot glue gun on a 30 foot long extension cord with me at the top of a latter. That is starting to sound like a perfect day.

Doily Garland

What a great idea. So feminine and pretty. This is from a photo essay (of sorts) from Livy of A Field Journal blog (I've now bookmarked it!) by way of Decor8.

Valentines party what?

Eyes Fried Wide Shut

So the title of the post I think emphasizes that my caffeine to sleep ratio isn't a good one. I've tried to stay off of wedding blogs for the past 3 days while I work on a stop motion project. The amount of gluing, painting and cutting I've done in the last few days seems like a lot but I know it will be nothing compared to the campaign that begins once this project is over. (Bwuahahaha.) (Also, Andrea we need to start an official list of movies to watch during crafting.)

BUT I'm now totally and completely excited for the wedding. Z and I walked the yard last night and I told him my ideas. He liked everything and his only criticism was that I had food too far from guests. He was absolutely right and I like the switch. Now we just need to figure out what flowers would be, well, not absolutely dead come this time next year. The yard really is still beautiful but so much is brown. There are only ahand full of flowers that are in their prime. Most are decaying blossoms.

It's theoretically 90 out there today but there is a touch of fall in the air. You can see a shift in the light. I'll miss summer. Driving home last night at midnight I remembered just slightly what it's like driving home at 5pm in the dark and rain. But I'm thrilled for fall. The blogs are starting to shift fall ward and all the teachers I know are prepping their classrooms. It's a beautiful time of the summer and one I normally dislike due to heat. This year however I'm looking at it and falling in love. It's going to come to symbolize a lot, and just like I came into loving my engagement ring, I'm beginning to love more the idea of a mid August wedding.

A little bit of gush for your friday morning :)

In a year from today, Z and I are getting married. The realization struck walking to get coffee, and I'm sure it added a little hop to my step.

All of the wedding planning is fun (Heck, event planning is fun) but this morning I'm not even thinking about flowers or cake or installation art. I'm just really excited to be married. To be with this one person through thick and thin.

This past week has been a bit tough on us. I've been moody. He's been moody. At times communication is just so hard. But then I realized that yeah it's frustrating, but you have your whole lives to work hard on it. And it's worth the work because you're in it together. That's why marriage is so cool. It's two people saying, "This is worth the work. I'm in it." Then there's a whole lot of time that's no work at all. Love is both. The difficult and the ease. And fabric flowers aside, I can't wait to walk down that isle!

Chalkboard Table Decor (via Style Me Pretty)

Because apparently I'm obsessed with chalkboards.

This is from a wedding featured on Style Me Pretty. The bride and groom are named Aly and Joey (as the chalkboard states. :)

The wedding is split in two. I love the last image on the second half. It's an ingenious use of apples.

Ribbon Wall (for Ainjil and Chris via Design*Sponge)

Those are ribbons in the background. RIBBONS!! And not the $1.99 for 3 yards. Those are like the $12.00 for 3 yards kind. Out of our price range? Yes. Totally stunning? Absolutely!

(I wonder if you could get a similar feel by doing sparkly fabrics, cutting them into strips, and then maybe sewing down the edges.)

All of this awesome comes due to the loveliness that was Ainjil and Chris's wedding via Design*Sponge.

Designed by Duet Weddings.
Photography by Jose Villa Wedding Photography.

Save the Dates: Try 2-ish

A little success. A little fail. On the left is the front of our Save the Dates with an attempt to emboss the words. Clear embossing doesn't work very well on a pattern (the upper two on the left side attest to that.)

I like the idea of flags but I'm worried it seems too busy. I'm letting it all set.

Chalkboard Menu (by EnjoyCupcake via Design*Sponge)

What a great idea for a menu. I could see taking a giant picture frame, power stapling in a piece of crescent board with a few layers of chalkboard paint, and then either propping it up on a paint easel or hanging it somewhere.

This great photo is from Design*Sponge's article on EnjoyCupcake, a cupcake shop run by Amber Vander Vliet in Los Olivos, CA.

All the photos from Amber's shop are amazing.

Lovely Wedding (Ashley and Brandon via Vintage Glam Weddings)

My friend Andrea (good morning!) sent me a couple links last night. The image on the left is from the wedding of Ashley and Brandon via Vintage Glam Weddings. All the pictures from the day are fabulous and it cost them about $3,000.

Here for part I.
Here for part II (which includes some really cute bird seed pouches Ashley made. Also the budget breakdown = really helpful)

Oh Michael's (Trip 1)

Tonight was my first foray into Micheal's post engagement. It felt kind of magical. Kind of like a rite of passage.

Theoretically I'm keeping personal spending down to $35 a week (not including voice lessons.) The idea is that the money I'd normally be binging on random crafts will be happily allocated to wedding crafts. Therefor I didn't feel guilty about my $50 put down at the store and still mostly don't feel guilty about the dollars after most of what I purchased proved to be totally and absolutely inefficient.

I'm trying to not add complications (ie. number of cuts) to the Save the Dates but due to design issues my master (simple) plan is slowly becoming more complex. I'll try and post pictures tomorrow along with my restratigzation. (<---So not a word but spell check is failing me.)

PS- I'm going to keep track of how many times I go into craft stores to find wedding things. So far Micheals-1, SCRAP- 3

On the Other Side of Crazy...for now :)

I thought because I'd never cared about having a wedding, I'd somehow be immune to the legendary crazy that takes over some brides. My friends probably knew better. I know Z knew better. It's been fascinating (in a perverse sort of way) to watch my own personal ebb and flow of the disease. A lot of it has been alone behind locked door but the last few days it's leaked out to those closest to me. And they've been a lot of help.

Here's what I need to do.
1. Except that some days I'm going to feel like a failure about the whole thing. And that's OK. I am a teeny tiny bit of a pessimist. It's as unreal an expectation as thinking my dress will be Vera Wang to think THAT trait will go away for the planning of this party. As long as I take my wallowing and kick it out after not too much time. I know that wallowing is part of my thinking process. It's like my ability to be reasonable just shuts down so that all subconscious energy can go into problem solving. When it reaches a solution, the wallowing shuts off. Reason comes back and I put away the box of cookies.

2. I have been a vegetarian for about 15 years now. A result of vegetarianism is that I no longer see meat on menus. It's as if as soon my brain reads "chicken" or "fish" it just stops computing anything else unless I override it. I'll skip to the next entree to see if it's something veggie. I need to learn to do this with wedding blogs. I love the blogs but if I see the bride wearing a $6,000 ring, I probably won't be doing any of her hired stylists' decor. But this is the tricky part because even while that's all true, I could still be inspired by what they do. I could still learn a lot by assessing and analyzing. I'd just need to think to think how those sauces would work with tofu and not foie gras.

3. Our wedding won't be a magazine/blog wedding. I'm starting to get tree envy. I'm sure later tree envy will be taken over by shoe envy or something equally as ridiculous. I've heard people mention brides that are obsessed with their pictures. I thought this meant something very different than I'm realizing it means. This is a whole entry unto itself so I won't say a whole lot more. But basically our venue won't be swept in luscious green lawns. It won't be many things. But it WILL be full of the people we love. And they will be drunk. And this idea makes me very very happy.

4. Seek out images from weddings that more resemble ours in cost. Eco/DIY is very in right now. But a lot of the weddings I'm seeing in that vein are still put on by a team of stylists. Which is almost worse for my brain because then I can see something that very much strikes a chord with me but is still probably out of reach financially and physically. Today however I ran into a wedding on the blogs that very much felt DIY/homemade. The pictures weren't perfect. It didn't seem put together by professionals. Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't, but it just made me feel comfortable. And happy. Like here is this wedding that was obviously put on by inventive/crafty people and it felt very organic. It felt doable and lovely. I need to find more of those. Where? No idea. But at least now I have some idea of what I'm looking for.

Unreasonable Expectations vs Legitimate Wishes

One of the most dangerous things when planning a wedding is expectations. Others expectations. Your own expectations. The hard part is figuring out the difference between an expectation and simply something that's important to you and worth working hard for or maybe even fighting for.

I originally thought I wanted to invite everyone I've ever met to our wedding. But the more I think about weddings, the more I realize that all the other things I'd love to have at the day really is sort of small-wedding style*. It's really important to Z to invite everyone so now I'm not sure how to combine the two. Really it means that I may not be able to and because the people will be invited, well, the part that falls is the "everything else." But alas, you have to go forward to understand how you would have done something different way back there earlier on the path.

So our wedding will be large...for our budget anyway. It will be large for our venue. It will be large for a lot of things. But it won't be large when it comes to the people we want to share it with. I have to keep going back to that. Everyone may be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sitting in a giant field with no trees or chairs but that's what it's important right?

I mean, right?

I want to be that bride (hell that person) who is completely laid back and goes with the flow and just cool with some things getting kind of done. But how do you walk the line between wanting something to look and feel a certain way (b/c look and feel is an important part to who you are in life) and just being a push over to everyone else's opinions on the matter? How do you plan for something that pushes your abilities as a creator of things but then be OK with everyone sitting in a field eating crap?

And what is crap anyway? Why do weddings have to be expensive dinners?

So the last few days have all been pushing me back to the beginning. Back to the very beginning of planning this whole thing. I don't know if that's good or that's me resigning myself to what other people want of me. I don't even know how to gauge the difference.

*And clearly all of you who read this are on that "small wedding" guest list.

Chalkboard Paint Tutorial (by Aimee of Home Spun Threads)

A friend of mine sent me the link to this this morning. Let's just say the email back had quite a few exclamation points. Aimee of Home Spun Threads has a tutorial of how to make (yes I said MAKE) your own chalk board paint. Delicious.

Chalkboard Paint (by Raina Kattelson, Hudson Paint)

I'm just getting into the black stuff and you're telling me it comes in colors? COLORS?!?!?

This almost rivals my excitement about decorative tape. *Almost*

Stylist and Design*Sponge reader, Raina Kattelson, sent in her tests of the HudsonPaint line. Squeal!

Mini Chandelier Tutorial (by Amy Azzarito of Design*Sponge)

This is serendipitous. Why make it out of foam core when you can just find instructions for how to make one?

This is from Design*Sponge's new column called Past and Present. Today was from writer Amy Azzarito.

Besides have the great tutorial for the mini chandelier on the left, there are also incredible photos of a bunch of other chandeliers.

Lace Necklace (by TreeAndKimball)

So when you ask yourself, "What does an Anthropologie apparel designer do in her off hours?" THIS can be your answer.

Lovely work of TreeAndKimball found via Ffffound.

chandelier (by Brides.com)

If a chandelier (or rather I should say, "chandelier") was far away, would anyone notice if it was made of cardboard or foam core? I mean obviously it wouldn't have lights but it could still have shimmering beads?

Over at Brides.com they have a design and they tell you go find a friend who can cut it out of wood. And yes, wood (even a cheap thin wood would be ideal) but wouldn't foam core also work? (Work-ish?)

(blog trail: Tastefully Yours (Although I was really trying to find the source for those white flowers but no luck...buut stumbled on the chandelier. So WIN!), Brides.com)

Metal Trees (via Amy and Brian Reed)

This photograph (via Design*Sponge) is from a house right up there in PDX. It's owned by Amy and Brian Reed of Old School Stationers. The thing that caught my eye about their living room was the mirror. I love the metal trees, and I think you could do something of a similar feel with metal roofing. Obviously it would be a different quality and way more flimsy but it could be a cool effect. On the ends would be felt or fabric leaves. One could do small trees or what I'd love to do is a human-sized one. Lord help us if we ever have a house with a garage.

Decorative Tape (from Kate's Paperie)

More great decorative tape. This is from Kate's Paperie. Drool.

Vintage Table (by OnceWed)

First off, how cool. It wasn't until I posted the picture from OnceWed did I even notice that the "vase" on the right was a book. THAT is awesome.

I love this set up (although it's not the right style for Z and I) but I wonder if the bouquet could be done using the Dozi Design paper rose technique? Stack a bunch of them or use a burlap fabric.

In the Famous Words of Barbie

I should have a category that's called, "Obvious Stuff Z Points Out" because tonight is what I believe will be the first of many.

I took over the kitchen table after work. I started working on our Save the Dates while he was cooking. He had seen me cutting all weekend and asked how many more I had to do. "Well, there's like 200 total," I said. He looked at me a second, maybe waiting for the joke's punchline. "You know," he started slowly, "we're inviting that many people but" and then it struck me. Oh good Lord. Oooh good Lord. This is not like if 200 people were all having a birthday on one day. There aren't going to be 200 personalized Stewart (yes we named our owl) cards.

"Ooooooh," I said staring down at the stack of paper. "People are going to be getting these from us forever."

Zach went back to his onion and livers.

So there I am staring at all the paper and first: excitement. Seriously? There's a TON less work than I thought. But then quickly something else began its seep. Well, if I had realized that it would be like 120 instead of 200 then maybe I would have done two owls.... holding hands. Maybe I could still do that. But then I'd have to cut out 240 owls instead of 120 and then that would mean carving *another* stamp and if it's just one than shouldn't I have been *more* careful about the paper I was choosing and really considering colors and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Zach looks up from his livers.

"I'm fine," I say. Cut. Cut. Cut. Stewart's little eyes beam up from me from a green on green polka dot paper.

This is part of it. Managing the crazy. I am not a bad person for falling fortunately into less work. I am not somehow stripping the love out of these tiny creations if suddenly it's *more* manageable.

I will just keep this in mind when I'm working the invites.

Also, Barbie tooootally got it right. Math *is* hard.

You wouldn't hate me in this, right?

Bridesmaids dresses are evil. There. I said it. Why create a dress that's super cute and would look perfect at soooo many different events but then make it of a fabric that clearly (CLEARLY) says, "I shouldn't be here."

This JCrew dress on the left is of cotton. Cotton can go anywhere. Cotton can go to BBQs. Cotton can go on a first date. Cotton can have a drop of water fall onto it and not explode. Cotton can also stand up next to your best friend and drink champagne.

Jar Lanterns (by Miss Sprinkle of WeddingBee)

I thought I was productive this weekend, check out Miss Sprinkle from WeddingBee. Good lord. She and her fiance are making jar lanterns. Looks like a lot of work but that it will be pretty incredible.

I keep thinking about decorations but then realize that mostly people will be here in the dark. Not really sure what to do about lighting. I know that these lanterns are probably not for us (fire) but still what a great idea.

Invitations (by Design Jo)

Brooklyn Bride has great invites by Amy of Design Jo. I love this yellow pair. Simple. Bold. Polkadots. Wonderful.

It reminds me of some save the dates from a few months back. I need to scour my files and find those again because it was one of those where you see it and say, "Exactly."

Progress/Planning

This weekend I stamped and cut out over 60 owls for the Save the Dates. They are Z and bridesmaid approved. Now only some 150 more plus gluing and then more cutting, oh and then more folding/gluing. Already the plan has simplified. Yay for that.

This week I'm going to try and finish stamping/cutting the remaining owls and then start on Part II. I don't actually know what Part II of the Save the Dates is, but well, that's how this goes.

Also this week? Tables. I'm going to analyze the crap out of table arrangements. Mostly I've been looking at the flowers, but this week it's the table colors/clothes. Wow, how can life get any more exciting? Yes, I do feel like we've just stepped over into the surreal.

Pocket (by Erin Jang)

We are thinking about doing something like this on our save the dates. Instead of an envelope it will probably be a paper pouch with no over fold. Then a little card with the date and maybe a note will be slipped inside.

This is the always incredible work of Erin Jang (Indigo Bunting Blog) via Mint.

This Way That

I found this image while browsing and thought maybe my Dad and I could build a post in the front lawn right where people would be coming in and it's just covered with wooden arrows that all have things like, "Reception," "bathrooms," "ceremony," etc on the signs and they are all pointed in the various directions of those things.