Bottles and Flags

White Stripe Party Dress (via White House Black Market)

2011-05-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

In the vein of last week's reasonable white dress, here is another one from White House Black Market. I wish more companies provided pretty dresses at this amount. Just ask David's Bridal. They don't even make white bridesmaids dresses. Other dress stores increase the price exponentially as soon as the dress becomes white. And no that's not just b/c white material is more difficult to keep clean during the dress making process.

*sigh*

Via White House Black Market

Lovely Clutches by Bagatelle and Co

2011-05-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

If pretty took physical form is would look like this. And if I were a rich girl, all of my friends would have one of these in their closets. Also, if this was anywhere *near* by soon-to-be married sister's style, she'd have one wrapped up in beautiful white tissue paper. :)

Umbrellas (via SMP)

2011-04-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Weddings are a great place to look for summer brunch inspiration. And this lovely photo from the talent of Wednesday, Inc., EE Photography, and Amanda Marie Portraits makes me excited to plan a mid morning tea for my Mom and her friends. She has a lovely patio with large beams across the top. They are easy to reach by latter and would be a great place to fasten a dozen or so umbrellas. What a pretty set up for a morning of conversation with friends.

Via Style Me Pretty

Swirl Embroidered Dress (via WhiteHouseBlackMarket)

2011-04-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

This would be a perfect summer wedding dress. I wish this had been around last year! It's exactly what I was looking for. Last year they had a dress with this top but it was a pencil bottom. I am not a pencil kind of girl.

Also with this dress, someone with some sewing skills could add more flair at the bottom. (Note to self: must learn to sew!)

This dress is under $200. The bride can actually move around and dance. For hot outdoor weddings the bride may actually be comfortable. Shocking I know. I KNOW!

Via White House Black Market (which I always write Black House White Market.)

Book Vases (via DIY Bride)

2011-04-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Terri and Adam put some sweat into this wedding and what a lovely outcome! I love the challenge of centerpieces and I would have loved to have been a guest at this wedding.

Photography by Edyta Photography.
Via DIY Bride.

Happy Necklace (by Piano Bench Designs)

2011-04-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

I use to think in terms of favors. OK, I still mostly due. But now that my sister is getting married, I think in terms of gifts one gives a friend who's getting married. The best gift is help (check) but something shiny never hurt either.

This adorable necklace comes by way of creative hands Piano Bench Designs.

Thank You Cards

2011-03-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

Illustrator is back!

Love Is Sweet Dessert Table (via 100 Layer Cake)

2011-03-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Any combination of bunting, sweets and love basically comes together for a solid win. Jen and Cody had such a pretty dessert table. I love the large flags in the front.

Photography: Simply Bloom Photography

Favor Boxes (via lorajean's magazine)

2011-03-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

It almost doesn't matter what's inside when the box is this cute. Lorajean's Magazine blog has a folding tutorial. You could get three analogous colors of yarn and wrap the boxes in different combinations. Such a pretty table! These would also make pretty favor boxes for a bridal shower. If it's a bachelorette party simply use black paper and wrap with red sequin ribbon or something fishnet-y :)
(Blog trail: Poppytalk, Lorajean's Magazine)

Drafts into Design

2011-03-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

This is the final week before my sister's engagement party and it will be a busy one. The cooking is the part with the most variables. I love cooking but baking comes in no way naturally. Also, I didn't take into account temperature. Tonight I tried to create the cake and cookie stands and well, let's say the glue needs about 10 degrees warmer for the MINIMUM bonding time. I'm trying to do everything outside under cover because the e6000 glue is pretty toxic smelling. Here's hoping.

The two pictures above are (1) the first attempts at putting actual dishes on the table and (2) tiny pound cake bites. The frosting pens they sell at Michaels are really neat but taste terrible. I'll make frosting for these bad boys to sweeten them up a bit. God I'm bad frosting.

Rough Design

2011-03-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Armed with this sketch, I braved both the returns and the house holds sections at IKEA. I think I have what I need. This weekend will be a baking/crafting explosion as I will be testing recipes and creating as much as I can in preparation for next week.

Must not forget napkins. Or plates. Also glasses.

I am going to go to Fred Meyer and get ingredients that make me look like I'm on a one track path to diabetes. Actually I probably am regardless of the marshmallows, frosting and boxes of oreos that I'm about to purchase.

Layer Cake (via Style Me Pretty)

2011-02-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

I know this exists as a thing but I'd never really noticed it until seeing this cake by Isabelle Li (T Room Bakery) for Madeleine and Adam's wedding. Layering flowers between cake layers is a great way to add height. Seems like you could do something really pretty to this affect with a single layer cake for a birthday party or other celebration as well. Could you make little cupcake layers and have flowers between the lower half and the upper half? This I might have to try.

Photography: The Other Angle Photography

Sister's Engagement invite (by Me)

2011-02-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

This year Z's Mom cooked an AMAAAAZING superbowl party. I think a large part of it is relativity. You know what's a lot less work than cooking for 120 people? Cooking for 12. You know what is also a lot less overwhelming than creating designs for 15 tables? Creating one table. Post wedding parties are the BEST.

Invitation Book (by IceCreamSocial)

2010-11-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

These are the incredible work of the amazing Ice Cream Social. Their work is some of my favorite. This would be a really cool gift for a bride or someone for their birthday. Create a sleeve at the edge for sliding in dates. Option 2 is to have 12 pockets. Each pocket would represent a month and you could give the book with the pages full of cards and birthday dates. A sleeve in the front would hold stamps. A place to hold the cards and the time line for sending them.

Favor Bags (via Poppytalk)

2010-11-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

This label is adorable but I think the bag itself, with the string bow is just so cute. Perfect for favors at a bridal shower.

This is from Amy Karol's most recent book, "Bend the Rules with Fabric."

Via: Poppytalk

Lantern Installation (via Snippet and Ink)

2010-11-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

I love what people are doing with the round lanterns. Maybe I should start collecting them for my sister's and her fiance's engagement party. This is from Tiffany and Brad's beautiful wedding.
Blog Trail: My Beach Favors, Snippet and Ink
Photography: Lauren Brooks Photography

Etched Lighting (by Melissa Borrell)

2010-11-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

Glass etching is really a bit magical. It's much easier than you think it will be. These are the cool work of Melissa Borrell. Thanks to Stephanie Getting Married for noting these.

Modern Centerpiece (via MSW)

2010-11-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

I am a bit unfamiliar with modern weddings and in that my sister has very modern in style, I'm trying to learn visually what that means. A few characteristics I'm finding is bold, strong colors. Not that a modern wedding can't have off white as one of it's dominant colors...but maybe it can't. I take that back. It begins sliding into another category of wedding. I didn't realize the words for what we wanted until practically at the end of the process. It's great that my sister knows her up front.

I love these square (a modern element) vases filled with colorful carnations. I would have never suspected that carnations could look so bold and fresh. Amazing.
Via: Martha Stewart Weddings

Silhouette Play

2010-11-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

More fun for my engaged sister.

Such cute heart cards (by Paper & Type)

2010-11-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Oh stitched cards. I love you so much. These are the adorable work of Paper & Type. Those hearts and stitching. Seriously. *sigh*
Via: Mint Design Blog

Cupcake Flags (via Poppytalk)

2010-11-16T17:10:00.001-08:00

You can never have too many flags. Not really.
This awesomeness came from the clearly very cool couple Micah and Brooke's blog via Poppytalk.

Favor Boxes (via MSW)

2010-10-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

I love the silhouette thing. It's innately designy and can be used in clever ways everywhere. Here it is with these modern favor boxes. Colorful. Pretty. Good for shower take homes or wedding favors.
Via: Sara's Party Perfect, MSW

Men!

2010-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

If I could throw a bachelor party and somehow could be invisible AND knew anything about cooking a steak, I'd make one of these. B/c yeah. Awesome.
Via: Crafterholic, Instructables

5 carats and counting (via Target)

2010-10-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

These are napkin rings. NAPKIN RINGS. I'm not going to buy them but good lord doesn't it seem like they should be used for an bridal shower or bachelorette party or *something*?! Thank you Target for making my day. (If the link dies they are called, Diamond Ring Napkin Rings, and come in sets of four.)

Grey and Lace Party Inspiration (via Grey Likes Weddings)

2010-10-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

The inspiration for this shower/party/afternoon tea decor came from this beautiful wedding at Grey Likes Weddings. Shot by Blue Kite Photo.

1. Table Trim Wide: SL 57 Corded Lace Galloon with Sequins & Beads.
2. Backdrop: Springmaid Sierra Paisley Shower Curtain, Target.
3. Monochrome Mosaic Cup and Saucer, Anthropologie.
4. Burano Tray, Anthropologie.

Table Cloth: Linen from a fabric store.

Top Table trim narrow: 3/8" Pearl & Looped Cord Trim. (I have two trims stacked on top of each other.)

First secure shower curtain up to wall. Run small white Christmas lights down in even sections. Hide cords the best you can. You can use a table in any condition because it will be covered with the fabric. I'd probably hem it using an iron together unless I thought it was a table cloth I'd use again. I'd attach the lace with little safety pins once the cloth was on the table.

I think I'd make this a dessert table with tea options, which means the Anthropologie trays would all have small cookies and bars on them. Little mounds. I'd place the sugar and creamer in one more tray but place it perpendicular to the other trays. Stack the tea cups. The hot water would be on there too but not very pretty.

Not pictured here would be the fabric flower additions. I love the flower in the bride's hair. I'd make a bunch of those and have a couple laid out on the table bust mostly they would snake up from the left lower corner up to the left upper corner. If I put the Congratulations sign up against the wall they would gather around the sign.

Engaged!

2010-10-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

My sister is engaged! (Wait, have I mentioned this before?) Time to learn to be a good listener and worker bee!

Candle Hearts Invite

2010-10-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

I like the idea of this but I haven't quite hit it. Too much dead space.

Modern Wedding Invite

2010-10-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

My sister is getting married this coming July and she wants a modern wedding. My style is not modern at all so it has me thinking about modern shape and design. Here's my first attempt at playing around with modern.

Wrapped Vases

2010-09-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Jayson Home & Garden has some of the coolest chairs but they also have these lovely flower arrangements. Looking at their selections makes me realize all the things you can do to dress up a vase. Rich fabrics (velvet) or ribbons wrapped around a piece of fabric would be lovely on any table, any season. I love the wrapped approach because it gives you the ability to change last minute and bring in color where and when you want. Ultimate control. +-+-+ Via: Creature Comforts

Table Numbers (via poppytalk)

2010-09-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Table numbers are one of those projects that can be last minute or done months ahead. (I say go for it months ahead buuuut we were doing it literally day of *cough*) They also can be really pretty without being super complicated. This vintage frame tutorial over at Project Wedding illustrates that. Speaking from personal experience, Goodwill always has a half dozen small (4x6ish) metal frames. Paint them or use them as is. Our table numbers looked a lot like the "5" in this photograph but with much simpler typography. An absolute GREAT use of all that paper you (and by you I mean me) have been hoarding.

Blog trail: poppytalk, Project Wedding

Paper Leaves (via Once Wed)

2010-09-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hello paper leaves. The bride (and um paper artist), Katrine, and her mother made a bunch of these to hang up in their tent and between two trees for photos. Awesome.

Photography: Jim McGinley -+-+-+- Via: Once Wed

Hurrah Cards on Store Bought Cards

2010-09-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Most of the thank you cards I stenciled onto trimmed, 12x12 craft paper. However, when I was cleaning out my card file I realized what I really should be doing is stenciling onto pretty store bought cards I already owned. I have a bad (good?) habit of picking up sale items in craft and stationary stores. I have more than I need. This is a great way to use them! I must remember this for upcoming holiday cards.

Seating Chart (via Laurie Peacock Photography)

2010-09-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

What a creative seating chart! Erin and Nitsu put each guest's name with a New Yorker cover, which corresponded to a cover on the table. So great!

To see more of Laurie Peacock's great photographs of this wedding (and it is a pretty one) go here.

Black and White Bridesmaids Dresses (Via WeddingBee)

2010-09-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

What a great choice for bridesmaids dresses. This is from Mrs. Stiletto's wedding on Weddingbee. There are so many places to be creative at a wedding. At times I think that can be overwhelming (and maybe controversial within your family) but yeah. I would love to be a bridesmaid and wear something like this!

Photography: Laurie Peacock Photograph -+-+-+- Via: Weddingbee

Heart Punch Scrap Project (Tutorial)

2010-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

I punched out a bunch of hearts recently and when I threw the scraps into a drawer they plopped onto some pretty paper also lying dormant in my pile. "Hmmmm..." I thought and put aside the Sunday night cleaning and got creative.

The result is a great way to use scraps, as embellishments for envelopes. Simply carefully cut around the outside of the punch, glue onto a piece of scrap fabric or paper, trim and wallah. There you have it.

Flower Bracelet (tutorial)

2010-09-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

At some point in a wedding it feels like you're trying to put flowers on anything that moves. You corner groomsmen near the beer and grandmothers at the cake. If they hold still too long you get them with with boutonniere or corsage. It's a fun way to mark the people either in the wedding party or part of the family.

This flower bracelet from Sarah True and Chase Rivers (via SMP) is a great option for your flower covering needs. They use live flowers but I think it would work with a few adjustments with fabric flowers.

Idea: Make these at your bridal shower as either take homes or for the wedding. OR make them before the bridal shower and give them as favors.

(Via: Style Me Pretty)

Hurrah!

2010-09-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you cards are in full production. (And no I did not spill a bottle of acrylic paint all over my parent's cherry kitchen island. What are you talking about?)

Cocktail Party Invite Tutorial (Via 100 Layer Cake)

2010-09-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

This would be a great bridal party invite. Or really a fantastic invite to any type of party. Just change the colors of the paper according to the season. Check out the tutorial instructions at Martha Stewart.

Blog trail: 100 Layer Cake, RIFLE, Martha Stewart.

Crayon Table Numbers (Tutorial)

2010-09-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

I love the letters, but instead think table numbers. Great for a grammar school theme wedding or bridal shower.

Find the tutorial over at Frugal Life Project.

Blog trail: Indie Handmade, Frugal Life Project

Thank You Cards

2010-09-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Martha Stewart Weddings says that if you want to follow proper etiquette, you should thank someone for a gift within two weeks. This seems like an odd standard. It means that couples are expected to spend their honeymoon writing thank yous. As a guest at a wedding, I don't want my friends spending a single second of their honeymoon thinking of me or some waffle iron I bought them. Silliness!

So here we are, a few weeks out from our wedding. We've done the honeymoon. We've more or less gotten all the wedding crafts out of my parents' yard. We've actually exercised and cooked a meal. (OK, not true on that second part.) But we are close to being real human beings again. And that is why ladies and gentlemen, we can now start our thank you cards. Hurrah! (Or the test stencil I made last night.)

Jessica Hische (via Oh So Beautiful Paper)

2010-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Z and I have started our life as wedding guests. In a way, it's nice that we had our wedding more or less at the beginning. We will be much better guests because of it. But it also allows us to think about what kind of things we would have liked as gifts (not that we did gifts...but you get the idea.)

These Jessica Hische prints pop up as a great possibility. Or they'd be a nice bridal shower gift. Anything really. You can't go wrong with a beautiful letter (or two.)

(Via: Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Erin Ever After Shower

2010-09-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

This is the lovely work of one of the bloggers I follow, Erin Ever After. Such a pretty design and execution.

I love that she used the table as it was. Too pretty of a piece to be covered, and it goes so well with the yellow ribbon and the value of the tags.

Via: Erin Ever After (Go there for more pretty pictures and just a cool blog.)

Drink Label Genius

2010-09-02T14:40:00.001-07:00

Labels are one of those last minute details that have you running around like a madman. Print, cut, fold, place. Not to mention sending them off out into the world and hoping they get to the right place while you're putting on your dress. I found a whole stack of drink labels that I never managed to get past the print stage. I realize now this meant none of our guests knew what any of our drinks were. Delicious mystery!

But why don't you just by pass the crazy with this little genius idea? So simple. So pretty. Write directly onto the containers. And don't worry about sharpie on glass. You can clean it off with some warm water and Bon Ami cleaner. (One of our monoprint artists at work taught me that trick!)

Genius from the Tom and Jess (engagement) Fest.
Photography: Stacy Newgent
Via: Design*Sponge

Animal on a Stick

2010-09-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

These are the incredibly cute Felt Stick Animals over at Wisteria. When I first saw them on Oh Happy Day I thought, "Oh FIMO animals! How perfect!" I thought they were for cupcakes or something. Drink swizzles. But they're not. They are the perfect childhood toy. But then it got me thinking, "Hmmmm...now back to those tiny animal heads." And some day soon I will break out the FIMO (or the felt/paper mache) and make teeny tiny animals or teeny tiny animal heads-on-sticks . Maybe birds for a bridal shower. Maybe turkeys for Thanksgiving cupcakes. Endless. Possibilities.

(Via Oh Happy Day)

Birds!

2010-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Time to start cutting out the bird silhouettes for the Halloween party. All you need is a bare room, a raw-feeling chandelier and those birds. Mood Success!

You may need vinyl cut decal birds to get the blur flapping effect. If you can't spring for vinyl but are willing to use some serious black ink and about $50 worth of ink jet overheads you might tackle the wings as well.

This incredible work is from Geremia Designs.
Blog Trail: Paper Schmaper, Desire to Inspire

Landed and Running (er, kind of)

2010-08-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

I slept last night for almost 11 hours. It started with falling asleep on the floor and then moving to the unmade bed and then having Z make the bed around me and over me and then sleeping half the night in incorrect clothing and I finally brushing my teeth at 7am.

Deliiightful.

Step 1: sleep a lot.
Step 2: reintroduce ideas like "exercise" and "diet"
Step 3: CLEAN for the love of God CLEAN
Step 4: open presents, letters and enact a thank you letter writing campaign.

Most Romantic Room Ever (via The Wedding Chicks)

2010-08-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

I also love the grooms shirt and tie combo. See, you can do whatever you want at a wedding. Lynne and Gavin have great taste in a way I do not have taste. Lovely.

Photography: Gavin Casey
Via: The Wedding Chicks

Attacking tasks: finished and unfinished

2010-08-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges of doing your own wedding is staying organized. When it's just me organizing me, that's one thing, but as soon as you bring in willing hands, you (I) want to make sure I have things for them to actually do. I hate showing up at something ready to help and then have there be nothing to do.

It's such a delicate game though b/c on the one hand, I want to do as much as *I* can do before people start arriving Thursday. But on the other hand there are several different types of things I'm currently doing and some can't be done once it gets down to the wire. Here are the various tasks:

1. Designing. At some point, I'm still figuring shit out. Does this fabric work like it works in my brain? Will glue hold this together? What changes do I need to make? How would I prep this for mass production? What kind of instructions should go along with it.

The designing phase is one that often takes a couple of sessions over a couple of days. Maybe it can happen in one session but I am REALLY bad at designing if there is any one around besides Zach. This is something I have to do before people arrive. Like at all. I know there will be no room in my brain for any designing come Thursday afternoon/Friday morning.

2. Precision craft work. Folding certain types of paper is harder than it looks. A hot glue gun isn't a natural activity. There are some jobs that require a particular craft skill that may or may not be really important to the look and feel. I'm surprised at how many of my friends can really wield a glue gun (looking at you C and T) but there are times when I know I will be waaaay too picky, and I should just spare my friends THAT side of my personality and do it solo. This is something I am getting better at though b/c it's a fine line between claiming it as something I should do and giving it over to one of my friends who could also do it.

3. Non precision craft work (speaks for itself).

4. Mandatory labor. The crafts that *are* finished need to get out to their spots. The major components like chairs/tables need to get to their spots. Walls and signs need to be up and visible. This is labor pure and simple.

5. Not totally mandatory but it would be great if!- additional labor. This would include making more flags last minute because we have the time. Or creating some more fabric flowers for bouquets. In some areas, I did bare minimum, and if we have more time, it'd be great to get more of certain things finished.

6. And finally: Organizing. This is like designing. I love organizing, I enjoy it to no end but sitting down and creating a spreadsheet and thinking through the whats and wheres and hows and whos is a very particular type of thought and it works more like the designing. It requires a quiet room and no knocking. Organizing is what I'm doing today.

Crepe Paper Medallions (via Once Wed)

2010-08-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

This is why archives are so fantastic! This is a OnceWed tutorial from 2008 found again via How About the Orange. Awesome!

Check out the Crepe Paper Poms as well through the How About the Orange link. So cute!

(I think it would be cool to make these, put them in a box and send them to bridal party and mothers post wedding. Instead of a name it would just say, "Congratulations!" And it would be for having survived the wedding. :)
Blog trail: How About the Orange, Once Wed

Mix and Match Bridesmaids (via Style Me Pretty)

2010-08-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Phew! The real countdown began two days ago. GAH!!!

To ease my brain I'm looking at pretty. Here's a great mix and match set of white bridesmaid dresses. Love it!

The bride and groom, Melissa and Danny, clearly have a great sense of style. The other pictures at SMP are great.

Photography: Ahsley O'dell
Via: Style Me Pretty

Final Week: starts tomorrow!!

2010-08-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

So back out at August 24th I more or less made a list of the things I wanted to do or have come next week. I thought I'd check back in to see where I was on that list. What stayed. What went.

Flags- not as many as I had planned originally but good enough
Programs- in the final copy edits as I type
Bouquets/boutonnieres- the latter finished, the former, not yet sure. Women may not have much of anything in their hands. Hell, right now *I* don't really have a bouquet!
Tables- flowers, decorations, etc- If the wedding was tomorrow, we'd have these finished.
Favors (a label)- Cutting labels tonight
2 Installations- One is finished. I have another one but I'm not sure if you can call it an actual installation. But who cares?!?!
photo booth- Probably won't happen but haven't written it out completely
escort cards- Will be part of programs

Category: Other
Chandelier? Nope. But I'll make one soon after we're married. I tried a test tonight and I don't have enough time to make it look good enough before next week but maybe there's hope for our new place.
Card wrack with thank you letters? Nope but I didn't think of this idea *too* much past when I wrote it.
Giant chalkboard? Definitely not. But similar to the card wrack. Didn't think of it after it was initially expressed.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Altar Type (via Snippet and Ink)

2010-08-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Graphical type is awesome anywhere. I love this idea from the Faux Wedding designed by Grey Likes Weddings and photographed by Bonnie Tsang. I think you could do something something similar by painting painter's paper and then stamping big letters on it. It'd take some time and by the end of it all, may have been worth the price of just buying the signage, but still, sometimes the process is the fun part.

Via: Snippet and Ink

Fruit! (via Style Me Pretty)

2010-08-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

I love it when people incorporate something other than flowers into their centerpieces. The centerpieces (and table decor in general) of Beatriz and Dwayne's wedding is a great example of having flowers and something non-flower.

Also, apparently, the bride designed the entire wedding. Wow. Really really lovely.

Photography: Kellie Kano Photography
Via: Style Me Pretty

You know it's time to stop for the night when...(part II)

2010-08-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

When you face plant your thumb into a pile of really hot glued while standing 6 feet up a latter entangled in a mess of brittle tree branches being attacked by mosquitos. Put a band aid on your now turning white future blister and go home. Sorry other hand.

Letters! (Via Ramon Lenherr and Florian Brunner)

2010-08-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

I love letters. Big. Three Dimensional Letters. This is the very cool work of Ramon Lenherr and Florian Brunner.

Via Oh Joy , Typography Served

You know it's time to stop for the night when...

2010-08-03T22:25:00.001-07:00

you spatter small blood droplets across your cutting matte. Sorry finger/fingernail.

Aaaaand scene.

Triple. Hurray

2010-08-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight feels oddly victorious.
Z finished a solid first draft of our ceremony.
I started the work on our altar decorations.
I have a concept that I think will work for our guest book. (Fifteenth time's the charm!)
I have paper for our favor tags.
The fabric came for the test decorations for our pre and post ceremony festivities.
Tomorrow starts with a trip to the gym and a day of figuring out our programs. We're a hop, skip and a jump from major progress on that front as well. And then there's a long night ahead of me at my parents' gluing felt leaves to a tree with Mom and tracking down more pink fabric for our tables and maybe finishing a first attempt at our altar.
Yay yay yay!

Let the Games Begin

2010-08-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last night I sat in bed and I could feel my pupils enlarging with anxiety. Anxiety over what? I'm not really sure. It's Roving anxiety. I can feel it looking around, searching for something to latch onto. Should it be the number of people at each of our 60" tables? Sure was about 30 minutes ago! Should it be where we put those 14 tables? Sure is right now.

I can feel my mind just trawling over all the little details that make up a wedding and assessing each one for it's anxiety viability. My dress, my shoes, how I'm theoretically doing this or that, the 10,000 things I wanted to do but won't for lack of time. It's a fantastic little game and I have a feeling it will grow in intensity right up until Aug 13th.

Oh yay.

Owl Bag (via Paper Crave)

2010-08-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Adorable. Is there enough time to make 100 in two weeks of these with different types of owls? Just joking, but this owl creation by Denise Sharp. Wow. Just add a bow and a heart and it's the valentines bag I'm going to be using for the next decade. Love!

Tutorial at her site.

Blog Trail: Denise Sharp, Paper Crave

Two Weeks

2010-07-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

This time in two weeks I'll have a husband. I'll have a ring on my finger and an anniversary date. We've been so busy planning the wedding that I haven't really thought about marriage. Or rather, what it means to be married. I'm no longer scared of the holy matrimony (not like I was 7 years ago good God) but I have this emotional image of what married looks like, feels like, something I've had since I was a child growing up look at all of these marriages and it's strange to think that I'll be stepping into that in just two weeks.

It's not actually very scary. It's not scary at all.

Summer Bridesmaids' Dresses (via Wedding Chicks)

2010-07-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Suuuper cute bridesmaid dresses. This is from the romantic Australian wedding of Audrey and Ben. Check out their table designs. I'm always excited by things that aren't ONLY flowers. They clearly thought about light as a design element...something I really did not. *cough*

Photography: Nathan Wu
Via: Wedding Chicks

Boutonniere (via Once Wed)

2010-07-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Boutonnieres can be anything. Awesome. This is Ryan of Ryan and Chelsey.

check out the really neat altar they designed as well. l love weddings!

Photography: Austin Gros
Via: Once Wed

Wire Lamp (via Poppytalk)

2010-07-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

We are figuring out lights this weekend. Who wants to make 20 of these bad boys from photographer Ashley Ann? OK, so that's not happening but I'm still playing with the idea of going out and finding a bunch of lamp shades. The likelihood of this happening is also small, but maybe some day for a random party in the summer!

Blog trail: Poppytalk, ReadyMade, AshleyAnn (<--- link to her DIY page!)

Yellow Shoes (via Snippet and Ink)

2010-07-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

I love these shoes! They're from Target, which automatically means my hugely wide feet are no match for their dainty adorability. (<---Google says that doesn't exist.) But yeah, I can be a teeny tiny envious of Devin's feet as she married Stephen. I do not however envy the work that must have gone into her 300 person wedding. Looks like it came off without a hitch!

Photography: Meghan Mcsweeney
Via: Snippet and Ink

Seating Chart (via Green Wedding Shoes)

2010-07-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

We are hopefully* having our seating chart in our program but I think sometimes the prettiest designs come from how people navigate people to their dinners. This is a great concept from Lisa and Drew's wedding. Clearly a couple that loves adventure.

Photography: Kate Harrison
Via: Green Wedding Shoes
*Hopefully b/c I still haven't finished the program sooo, yeah.

Popcorn boxes (via Brooklyn Bride)

2010-07-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

My sister did some really cute decorations for my bridal shower. These popcorn boxes from Lemon Tree Paperie would be great for exactly this type of thing.

Designed by Sara Hicks Malone but sold at Lemon Tree.

(Via Brooklyn Bride)

Flowers (via Style Me Pretty)

2010-07-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

I love the look of abundant flowers. Some day I hope I can have friends over for dinner and do a table display that just feels overflowing.

This is the photography work of Lisa Lefkowitz at a Pride and Prejudice wedding shoot.

Via: Style Me Pretty

Super Creative Wedding (via Green Wedding Shoes)

2010-07-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

There is so much to love about Golriz's and Devon's wedding but check out those streamers. Cloth? Paper? Awesome.

Also, don't miss their cupcake display. I love the hanging flowers!

Also (also) their wedding video is really lovely. I never watch wedding videos online but theirs is fantastic. Really nice work by the people at Full Frame Cinema.

Photography: Ryan Lash
Via: Green Wedding Shoes

Doodle Invite (via 100 Layer Cake)

2010-07-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Some day Zach is going to get something like this for an anniversary or a birthday. For some reason it struck me as totally strange that some day we will actually have another thing to celebrate like an anniversary. A holiday I never knew existed but suddenly will.

This doodle invite is for Parusha and Peter's wedding in South Africa. It was created by Rudi de Wet.

(Via 100 Layer Cake)

Owl Boxes! (via Ruffled)

2010-07-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Chinese takeout boxes are a great great way to hold favors of any sort. Plus, when you tape on cute pictures of owls and robots you basically cannot lose.

You can read how much Ali and Rory's wedding was a family affair with the bride's sister doing flowers and the brides mother taking on bouquets and crafty things. I don't know who did the favors but what a family!

Photography: Goodnickels Photography
Via: Ruffled Blog

Side Bun (via Wedding Chicks)

2010-07-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

I have to figure out hair! I'm seriously OK with a low ponytail but I keep thinking I should at least *try* and do something different. This may or may not happen. But this woman's hair is sure pretty!

This is actually from an ad over at Wedding Chicks for Tessa Kim who specializes in birdcage veils and other hair adornment. She has some really neat headbands too.

Via: Wedding Chicks

Down to Business

2010-07-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are down to basically 2.5 weeks. That is a strange strange thing to write. It'll be even stranger when it is the week before. The day before. The morning of. And married. Wow. I have never been so excited for a vacation in my life. I owe my work my soul when I get back. 'Cause you know, focus just miraculously appears AFTER you're married.

Ha!

This week is designated for getting all the necessaries finished. Boutonnieres. Schedules. Altar. Maybe a bridal bouquet. Next week is for playing. The week after is for who knows what.

Door to my heart?* (via Wedding Chicks)

2010-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love randomly placed doors. I would love to have one at ours (it's not happening :) but hopefully at some future wedding I can talk a bride into a freestanding door.

This is from Ashley and Ben's wedding. Their invites are totally great too!

Photography: Nicole Ladonne Photography
(Via Wedding Chicks)
(*Wedding puns at other weddings delight me to no end. For some reason though in terms of our wedding, they make me want to crawl into a corner a die. Why is that?!)

Hell yeah!

2010-07-22T14:20:00.001-07:00

We. Have. Cake.

That is all.

Finishing

2010-07-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am terrible at finishing things. Zach and I joke about the 80% rule. My family is awesome at starting. Pretty good with middles, but that last 20%. Ha!

With the table decorations it's not just the 80% rule but also the problem of knowing when any project is really complete. One of the things I've done a poor job during this wedding prep is finishing a project completely so that I can move on both physically but much more importantly mentally. Yes there is a need artistically to sort of ruminate on things but rumination needs to be followed by decisive action. Decisive action with a finish. Not a decisive action with a partial finish but I just have this one more tiny thing I need to figure out. That causes momentary feelings of accomplishment followed by anxiety until the task is actually finished.

So by Wednesday evening, table bouquets will be complete. That final vase that needs spray paint? Well if it doesn't get spray painted by Wednesday, then that's 100% how it will be on August 14th. This or that should have had more or less of this or that flower? Nope. Sorry. Boutonniere finishing time. This week is dedicated to tables. Next week is dedicated to the final touches on jewelry, clothing, flowers, etc for the wedding party. The week after that programs, vows and final decisions.

No I am not freaking out.*

*yes I am.

Here. We. Go.

2010-07-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Holy something. We have passed the one month mark. Final stretch. Last dash. All of that. I have given up on weight and we have men's pants. All is right with the world.

The only thing left is finding a day of coordinator (meeting with a woman on Monday) and a cake or a cupcake or something cake-like (tasting cupcakes on Saturday.) I have been working on something weddingy almost every night and this weekend will be a final flower push. So yeah, kind of ridiculous. Kind of awesome. Kind of can't wait.

Side Hair with Flower (via Once Wed)

2010-07-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am suuuch not a hair girl. My idea of a complex hair day is drying. A REALLY complex hair day? Drying AND straightening. The idea of somehow needing to do something special on our wedding day is, well, tedious. But you know, that doesn't take away how beautiful Alicia's hair is here at her and Ian's wedding.

Photography: Tec Petaja (I'm not linking b/c it says there is malware on their site and I'm not totally sure what that means.

(Via Once Wed)

Drink Table (Via Green Wedding Shoes)

2010-07-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

What a cute cute cute drink table. Yes there are pancakes too but *squeal.* Really nice design. From a design standpoint you have the two vertices on each side to frame the scene. Then you have the shortest stuff on the edge and you work in to the tallest with the flowers kind of on an edge so that it's not totally symmetrical. I like that it uses one vase of flowers only but instead uses other elements (including the drinks themselves) as part of what makes it colorful and visually interesting. (Photography by Sarah Yates, Design by Green Wedding Shoes and My Bride Story)

Milk Glass (via Once Wed)

2010-07-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hello milk glass! Alan and Ani's wedding photographed by Ian Villaceran.

(Via Once Wed)

Flowers (via Snippet and Ink)

2010-07-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

So pretty. This table at Michele and Dave's wedding is so lovely. Theirs is put together a bit better than ours will be but it's the same general feel. OK, maybe not at all but I love it!

Photography: Amanda Bevington

Book Stacking (Via Style Me Pretty)

2010-07-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

At the end of June I saw about a week worth of weddings that had flavors of ours, and it made me excited. B/c if it worked for them (and it really did) then the slightly varied approach we're taking may not be so bad. How much insecurity can you pack in a planning process? Brides everywhere say it with me! "A whole bunch!"

This flower stacking on books comes from Alice and Sandro's wedding. Yay!

Photography and design: BrancoPrata Events. (Blog!)

Paper Flowers Galore (by Jes and Caleb)

2010-07-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

Need I say more? Yeah.

Oh right but I will. Normally I write where the wedding came from like via Ruffled (as this one did) but this was one of those weddings that was put on by actual people. Not a team of professionals for a single magazine shoot or by another team of professionals for a wedding of the year 300 person beauty gig.* People. With hands. And a whole lotta style.

It's just nice to see.

Photography: For you Love Me Photography

*And um, I love the ones that are put on for magazine shoots and $50,000 too.Yeah!

Spray Paint Variables

2010-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

When you spray paint glass, you have to worry about a tiny rippling that happens. I don't know why. Maybe it's temperature based. Maybe it's that the paint on top pulls the paint on bottom and that lower paint can't grab onto anything b/c it's on a nonporous surface. I don't know. But I do know that if I spray a thin layer, I don't think it'll happen. So I only messed up 5 of my pieces. I have to go back and try and clean them off with paint thinner or something but at least I have hope still of making the glass shiny.

And when I finally do do all the non-table glass, at least I'll know what to expect. Hopefully.

Cupcake Garland (Via Style Me Pretty)

2010-06-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

I love the versatility of cupcake liners. Here is a great example photographed by Red Ribbon Studio of a cupcake garland.

(via Style me Pretty Galleries)

Cake x 5 (Via RitzyBee)

2010-06-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

This take on cake really appeals to me. It has stacks. It has a mix and match quality due to different patterns on the cakes. It' snot a traditional wedding cake so you know, no one had to die for you to pay for it. You know, stuff like that.

Did I mention we still need to figure out cake? Hiiilarious.

(Via, RitzyBee, Martha Stewart)

Edible Edible (via Bakerella)

2010-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

This is genius. GENIUS! I love it when things come in other things you can eat.

These are happening some day. I don't know when, but some day these will exist inside the KZP household. And you will be invited.

(Blog Trail: Lonely Pie, Bakerella)

Plastic Perfection

2010-06-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Oh my God. This may actually make it so I can still open pickle jars when I'm 35...b/c at the rate I was going, it wasn't looking so good.

(Just tested it. And it's ppppuuuuuure awesome.)

Source: Best Money You've Ever Spent.

Flag Testing (my own)

2010-06-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

This was last night's activity and it's being tested as we speak.

Here's a question though:
Should I try and keep with the general (and at this point it's very very general) colors of the rest of the wedding? Jewel tones? Navy blue? Or should I just use whatever fabric I have that looks good together?

Flags! (my own)

2010-06-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the flags I'm working on. I'm not sure why the colors are so strange in this... overexposed perhaps but this is the general feel.

A-ha! (Via Once Wed)

2010-06-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

This is all the proof a girl needs for her mother (and grandmother) that mix and match bridesmaid dresses do in fact look awesome.

I speak for all of us when I say, thank you Tom and Nichole for helping us on that one.

Photography: Josh Goleman
(Via: Once Wed)

Sweet Wedding (via Style Me Pretty)

2010-06-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

There are so many wedding pictures on the blogs that blur the line between magazine spread and real life wedding. Don't get me wrong, I love love (LOVE) the magazine like ones, but it does make it even more refreshing to see an event that really feels like it could be Z's and mine. Handmade. Homey.

Photography: David Newkirk and Jenny Moloney. (Via Style Me Pretty)

Progress!

2010-06-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Good weekend. I may have destroyed my shoulders with the power of the sun (it's sort of amazing how a sun hat protects your face. I am now living proof to that) but I got major sh*t done. Also my pinkie is still numb from excessive spray paint use.

2010-06-25T11:28:00.001-07:00

No I did not just spray paint a bit of my Mom's lawn white. What are you talking about?

Glitter! Edible! Sugar! (oh my) (Via Frenchie and Flea)

2010-06-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

This is so cute. (Also, I now have a new blog to love.) Be watching for these on your doorstep Valentines Day 2011.

And while yes, you can't beat pink edible sparkles, the arrow that shot me was the lace on pink card stock top.

Thank you Frenchie and Flea. You made my day.

Japanese Tape and Vellum

2010-06-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this seem like it could somehow be made into a guest book? I don't know how but just somehow.

Lovely image from the always lovely images of A Creative Mint.

Burlap Banners (via Oh So Beautiful Paper)

2010-06-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

Burlap is great. I always find it hard to work with but I think it just means I'm going a bit too cheap. There is a graph with cheap on one axis and unruliness on the other. Funkyshique has clearly figured out the graph. Awesome awesome banners available at her etsy shop.

(Via: Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Table Flags (via Ruffled)

2010-06-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Originally I had planned to have flag garlands EVERYWHERE. Then life happened. I'd still like them a couple places like the ceremony site and running along horizontal beams. I'd also really like them to be the main decoration along food and drink tables ('cause there ain't going to be flowers), and seeing this image from Amy and Warren's wedding gives me hope. It also makes me realize I don't think I ordered table cloths specifically for the long tables. You know, whatever.

Photography: MegRuth Photography
Via: Ruffled

Men's Clothing

2010-06-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

So we may try (*may*) have the men wear different blue shirts but with the same tie. The tie on the left looks like it'd match pretty well (pretty well ish) with what the women are wearing.)

We're trying to keep what we buy low but if the men can just use a shirt they already have...it may work. It also may not.

I'm so (soooo) that person who's at the back of a wedding going, "They tried..and it didn't work." I'd hate to be at my own wedding! :)

Tuesday's Bounty

2010-06-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

(Bounty seems like strong word. More like the source of my currently very very tired forearms.)

All right. Red wine? Check. Painted test vase? Check. Stash of hot glue? Check. Hot glue gun and scissors? Check. Hours and hours to make 15 tulle half poms? Hell yeah check!

2010-06-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here we go. Seven weekends between us and the wedding. Amazing. Amazing excited and amazing holy-wow-there's-some-work-to-do.

For the next two weeks I'm focusing as much as I possible can on floral centerpieces. If you stop by our apartment, I apologize in advance for the absolute chaos this is causing.

So here are my floral goals for this week: (Finish hearts, half poms, Paper cone flowers, vases, centerpiece designs)

Monday:
   Complete 30 hearts (TOTALLY Got this finished!)

Tuesday:
   Finish 15 half poms (This took forever. I love them)
   Paint 100 half circles (Instead I painted 80 and then assembled the 5 cone flowers it made. Hmmm...)

Wednesday:
   15 half poms- And finished! (Man I'm sick of making poms)
   Paint 100 half circles (for paper cones)- Now I need to paint 120. (I think I painted 120. May need to rethink this plan. They are too labor intensive. Punching the hole kind of kills my wrist.)

Thursday:
Buy remaining necessary table glass
   Finish designing centerpieces

Friday: Spray paint all jars
Saturday: Buy glitter paper (Ptown), cut fold flowers, maybe put together, put together my presentation for my mother and moth-in-law
Sunday: 10 fold flowers, make 5 cone flowers, make 15 half poms, Meet with Z's family and mine.