Candle Craziness

We are planning to use lots of candlelight throughout our reception, on all the tables, and maybe even one like this:

The next step was deciding on the candles themselves. I, of course, spent way too much time thinking about this and wound up with a list of requirements for the candles:

• be available in a variety of sizes
• not drip excessively
• last for at least 5 hours
• not stink
• not smell too strong
• not be vanilla scented
• be white, not ivory
• be cheap

After receiving several recommendations from family, friends and some florists, I went to Michael's and purchased their white clean linen scented pillar candles to test. And....they meet all the requirements, they are quality candles with a very very light, clean scent and are super affordable (especially if you use a coupon!).

If you're in the market for candles, this bride-to-be recommends Michaels!

Do you over analyze small details too?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving Wedding Crowd!

I want to take this opportunity to give thanks to the people in my life: my fiance, my mother, my sister, the rest of my family, my pets: Ruby, Pearl, Peanut Butter & Jelly, all my friends and coworkers and of course my readers! I love you all, you make my life worth living!

I want MORE candy!

Here is a follow-up to my earlier post about bags for the candy bar.....

First, I realize that I left some product information out.

I used Color Box pigment ink pad in black ($3), Stamp n Stuff embossing powder in clear ($4) and a Marvy Heat embossing tool ($19.99-I think), all products came from Michael's.

Additionally, I just learned from exploring at Michael's that there are pigment ink pens! This is SO much easier than the tiny paintbrush I mentioned earlier. Plus, the Micron .45mm black pen was reasonably priced at $2.99!

Lastly, after looking way too much at these bags, I decided they were missing something. So, I added a lime green ribbon looped through two holes to each bag. This will allow guests to tie the bag closed and it adds a pop of color!

For this, I used some chartreuse thin ribbon (50 cents for 10 yards) and a McGill 1/4 inch round hole punch ($5.99) from Michael's. It was very simple, I just punched two holes about 3/4 inch apart on the center of bag about 1/2 inch from the top of the bag and then threaded the ribbon through leaving the loose ends on the front of the bag.

Do you constantly add to your DIY to-do list too?

Link Love: Ugly Sheet Cake

Need a humorous break from wedding planning? Well, roll on over to http://uglysheetcake.blogspot.com/
It's a collection of the ugliest and most disgusting cakes ever...seriously the dark humor is too funny!

Here's an excerpt from one of my favorite posts:

http://uglysheetcake.blogspot.com/2008/03/nerd-alert.html

i can only imagine the binge drinkin rockin rollin key swappin scene that happened at this party. its nearly as exciting as my friend's Dora/The Little Mermaid party for her 2 year old a month ago.

I want Candy!

We are having a candy bar at our wedding because my fiance is a huge candy freak, specifically m&m's. I ordered some bags from http://www.papermart.com/ (read review here) and they definitely needed to be beautified. The above picture is the end result--and I am so proud, I'm becoming crafty!!



INSTRUCTIONS

SUPPLIES

• Paper Bags
• Paper Cutter
• Border Punch
• Stamp Pigment Ink
• Embossing Powder
• Embossing Tool
  Tiny paintbrush (only required if you're a OCD perfectionist)

1. I cut off about an inch from the top of the bag to get rid of the ugly number 2, using the paper cutter.
2. Next, I used a border punch to add some interest to edge of the bags. I used the border punch pictured below by Fiskars from Michael's. I hate, hate, hate this thing! It broke very shortly after using and I had to reassemble it myself multiple times (it's missing a piece in the pic above). On the positive side, it is easy to line the paper up and get straight cuts.
3. Next up is stamping. I used my logo stamp and black pigment ink. It's important to make sure you use pigment ink because dye-based ink dries too quickly for embossing. I had a really difficult time getting the stamp perfectly even and accurate throughout the logo, so I ended up using a tiny paintbrush dipped in the ink to perfect the stamped design. But as you can see below, many of the bags were beyond repair.
4. Pour embossing powder on the stamped bag. I used clear powder, because even if a few sprinkles are left on the bag no one will know because they dry clear. Be sure to pour a lot of powder, think heaping mounds like the picture below. TIP: let the powder sit for a few minutes before dusting off the excess.
5. Pour the remaining/excess powder onto the next bag or back into the container.
6. Using your embossing tool, heat and melt the powder on the bag. It's really easy to tell when it's finished, the design will be shiny and raised.

That's it! You've embossed some gorgeous candy bar bags!

REVIEW

Cost: Ultra cheap!

Difficulty: Medium, there is definitely a learning curve

Time: a lot, but not as much as you think! I averaged about 15 minutes for 10 bags. My advice is to break it up into groups of 10 and do a little at a time.

Have you used embossing for any of you wedding techniques? What sort of bag/container are you using for your candy bar?

Stamp of Approval

I just received my two custom stamps from http://impressrubberstamps.com/ and I am one satisfied customer! I ordered a custom 2 x 3 wood block stamp with my address in the lovely Feel script and a 5 x 5 wood block stamp for our logo. It was super easy to order, all I had to do was email a pdf (Thank you cute pdf) with the designs on it and 2 weeks later I had my two stamps. The quality seems to be good (but I don't know anything about stamps); I was worried about the complexity of our logo, but it stamps clearly. Plus, I thought the prices seemed reasonable!

Additionally, I feel very Martha right now. This was originally a Good Thing that I fell in love with awhile ago.

Are you planning on using stamps for any of your wedding projects? Or do you simply have a vendor to recommend? If so, leave a comment!

P.S. Don't you love the super cheesy pic at the top?

I'm obsessed!

Look...just look! At all these great centerpiece/decor ideas using my favorite cymbidium orchids.


I can't wait to receive my artificial flowers so I can begin getting the centerpieces ready!


I've been daydreaming about this setup all day...I would love to use it on one of the buffet tables! It's just so pretty!




I've seen these curtains or garlands many times and I really like them. Has anyone else tried this project?



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Link Love: The Preppy Wedding

Next up, is my first wedding blog, http://thepreppywedding.blogspot.com/. That's right, this website was the first wedding blog that I followed right after getting engaged!

The author is a total prepster, a southern belle and has a great eye for all things stylish!

Here's an excerpt from a post about her own wedding:

http://thepreppywedding.blogspot.com/2007/04/preppy-wedding-details.html

I'm going to share some detail pictures of the things we did for our perfectly preppy wedding. Next week, I'll talk in more detail about some of our ideas for all you DIY girls out there.Here goes ...Keep in mind the overall theme tying this wedding together was SOUTHERN CHIC.Some of you asked about our flowers. The wedding really was a hydrangea fest. I carried 6 bunches of blue hydrangeas while the maids carried 4 bunches of ivory. This saved us money, as hydrangeas are imported this time of year. (Also - the imported hydrangeas are supposed to be more hearty) As you can see, I also had a picture of my mom's mom and dad's dad (who are both deceased) dancing. I love this picture, so I went to Ritz camera, shrunk it to locket size and had my florest tie it onto my bouquet. That way, I had a constant reminder of their prescence.

Check it out and let me know your preppy thoughts!

Holy Sticker Shock!

After I posted about my centerpiece ideas yesterday, I got excited and started to do some pricing research on the green cymbidium orchids I envisioned using. Well, I was shocked…shocked, I tell you.

At about $15-$25 a stem, they were too pricy for me. According to the pictures I posted yesterday, I would need at least 2 stems per centerpiece (each stem has 6 blooms) depending on the size of the vase.

19 tables x $15 a stem x 2 stems per table = $570 = too much for me.

I was really disappointed because I spent over a year searching ruthlessly for centerpieces. I looked at candles, but that made Mr. Inartistic very nervous—he had visions of the entire reception venue going up in flames. I even considered using these fabulous feather centerpieces. But it didn’t feel right. I knew I wanted these crystal wedding trees on my tall boy tables and even though I’m not a flower person, some flowers at the reception are necessary. So I decided on the submerged cymbidium orchids idea.

Not wanting to give up on my ideal centerpiece and months of research, I went searching for alternatives.

I remembered that my fiancé’s dad’s best friend sells very high end silk and latex flowers to florists, gift shops and interior designers. I gave him a call and much to my delight he had green latex cymbidium orchids available for wholesale B2B costs!

I was extremely concerned about the tacky/cheap factor; so I had my mother’s friend, a retired florist, come with me to examine the flowers. We were extremely pleased with the quality. They are latex and the perfect color and size. Plus, every single bloom on the stem will be perfectly full and beautiful.

The price for one stem is about $17, and it includes several blooms (I forgot to count and take pictures….I know…bad blogger!). So, for about $700 I was able to get 42 stems. I know, I know…this is more than the aforementioned cost to have real cymbidium orchids. But here are the reasons I decided to go with the latex flowers:

• These can be assembled early. My mother’s friend generously offered to arrange them in the vases for me.
• They will look good throughout the day, from what I understand real orchids are very fragile.
• One word: ebay! I am hoping to resell them after the wedding and recoup some of the costs.
• No one will know they aren’t real because they will be submerged—i.e., they can’t be touched!

Plus, I did actually order several extras, so I can use them for other potential DIY/decor projects.

I won’t receive them until January 2009, so I’ll post a review and more information then.

Has anyone else considered using faux flowers?

Link Love: Stupid Wedding Crap

I've decided to start something new on this blog for all my readers (all 6 of you, thank you google analytics). That's right, I'm going to do a spotlight on the websites that I love.

We'll get things started with the HILARIOUS http://stupidweddingcrap.com/

I love this site, the bride-to-be searches the internet for terrible wedding products (a denim wedding dress?) and provides wonderfully sarcastic commentary on the awful wedding junk. Seriously, I had tears rolling down my face as I was re-reading her entire site tonight!

Here's an excerpt from my favorite post to date:

http://stupidweddingcrap.com/archive/65

The Wedding Outlet is your one stop shop for all of those wedding day must-haves. What is a wedding day must-have? It is something like this bell-shaped piece of plastic that has been filled with sand and shells and hot-glued with an organza ribbon. Everyone needs an unringable bell (just $6.90 each, minimum order of 5).I found this gem on Wedding Rumors, which appears to be a blog about wedding accessories but is really just a clog (a.k.a, corporate blog) for the Wedding Outlet. After all, what blogger could, with any seriousness, write about the necessity of non-working plastic bells filled with sand and sea shells? When it comes to expensive, non-edible favors, I find that I can only write with derision. Well, derision, wit, and complete incredulousness.

Seriously, go check it out! If you are not laughing hysterically, well, there is something wrong with you.

P.S. As an internet addict, I'd love to hear about your fave sites.

Sooo Over? More importantly, Do I even care?

I'm planning on having a mashed potato bar at our reception. For the non-southerners, it's a station where mashed potatoes are served in a martini glass with various toppings (sour cream, butter, gravy, cheese, etc.). The main reason we are having this is because Mr. Inartistic requested it and he has only asked for three things at the wedding: the mashed potato bar, a carving station and lots of beer! Also, I love this idea and it has always been a hit at every event I've been too.

Well, recently I was talking to a dear friend of mine who is getting married two months before me and her caterer refused to do a mashed potato bar for her wedding, saying "that fad had passed." This left me wondering about several things: First, why would a caterer tell a bride that? Is it out of style?

Lastly, Do I care that it is sooo over? My answer is no. My FH and I love the idea and it will be a tasty food item that our guests will love. And I seriously doubt that any of our guests will be thinking that the food was passe.

What do you think? Should I base the menu on what the cool kids are doing?

Photo Source

Included in your Christmas card....An STD!

Since we are sending out our STD's (save the dates) around Christmas time, my FH wanted to kill 2 birds with one stone and also use it as our Christmas card. He truly is the man of my dreams....he's just as lazy as me!

After an exhaustive google search, here is what I came up with:

• All we want for Christmas.... Is for you to Save the Date
• Don't get on our naughty list....remember to Save the Date
• Ho Ho Ho....We just can't wait....Just a reminder to save the date
• The Spirit of Christmas.....is Love

None of these are great, but I'll keep on searching!

Suggestions are welcome/appreciated/required.

The Bloomin' invitations!

Another fast shipper!

My order from http://www.mygatsby.com/ just arrived! I ordered these 5x7 Bloom Envelopes in Black Linen less than a week ago, and FedEx delivered them a few minutes ago! I'm super psyched--they are gorgeous and perfect. My Gatsby gets a big thumbs up from me!

Has anyone else used My Gatsby or bloom invitations?

Bags for the Candy Bar

I ordered these white paper bags from http://www.papermart.com/. They were priced really well at $11.76 for 500 bags, which is more than I need, but I'll use them for something--right? Plus, this price was way better than Michael's, who wanted a ridiculous $3 for 12 bags!!!!


They arrived in less than a week. Yay for fast shipping!!


My only problem is the number 2 displayed on the top of the bags. I think I am going to trim the top of the bags to get rid of it (future DIY!). They also have the recycled symbol on the bottom, but that doesn't really bother me--Green is in!



Anyways, I definitely recommend this vendor because of their great prices, fast shipping and excellent communication!

I'm always looking for great vendors, so leave a comment if you know of any!

The 'Maids dresses

After lots and lots of searching, procrastination and indecision, I finally selected the bridesmaids dresses. They will be wearing this strapless empire A-line dress in black Poly Satin with black Poly Chiffon. It has satin gathered on the bodice with mix color gathered waistband and back sash. The dress is from Jasmine Bridal's B2 line and at $130, it was a steal!

I selected this dress because:

1. It looked good on me (pear-shaped) and my sister (broader shoulders)
2. It was cheap
3. It is not TOO bridesmaid-sy
4. The fabric is gorgeous and not your typical matte satin.
5. I was tired of looking and basically let my MOH/sister make the decision.

What do you think yay or nay for the dress? How did/will/would you decide on a BM dress?

Something Blue.....Shoes?

I really must stop shoe shopping, because I am seriously considering buying these Manolo Blahnik Something Blue heels from Bergdorf Goodman. They are the "special" shoes from the Sex and the City Movie!!! Plus, I love the idea of my shoes, being my "something blue."

I also like these more affordable shoes from AMI.

Or these, cough..."Christian Louboutin"....cough...cough blue satin pumps, that are very similar to what I blogged about earlier.

Does anyone have any other, more affordable than the manolo's I'm obsessed with suggestions? Please, I'm begging you...stop me before I buy those shoes!!

Bloom Envelopes

I'm in lust with these bloom envelopes from My Gatsby. They are definitely going to be a part of my invitation suite.

I seriously considered making my own, but after a cost/time/laziness analysis it just wasn't meant to be. The paper would cost about 50 cents a sheet and the time involved would be staggering, plus my lazy side would be very unhappy. The cost for 100 bloom envelopes is $72.00. It would take all of 5 minutes to order them and my lazy side loves this method.

Needless to say, I decided to order the bloom envelopes. They have so many color choices; I chose Black Linen and I can't wait for them to arrive!

Have you ever done a cost/time/laziness analysis and what did you decide?

Uppers or Downers?

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Another thing I'm having a hard time deciding on is my hair. I've gone back and forth on wearing my hair down, half back and up for the past year, but I've finally decided on wearing it up.

Here's why:

1. It will (hopefully) look good all night....my hair is thin and even with extensions, it won't be bouncy and voluminous all throughout the day
2. It's classic. Fifty years down the road an updo will still look good. Long, wavy layers? Maybe not. For example, please revisit the photo at the top of this post.
3. The main reason...when I envisioned myself getting married, even as a child, my hair was in a beautiful updo.

Here are some styles that I'm leaning towards:

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How did you decide to wear your hair? Was it up or down and why?

I want...no...need...these shoes

These Christian Louboutin Very Noeud Slingbacks are on July/August cover of Brides Magazine. You can buy them here for a hefty $795.

I really love the idea of wearing a colored shoe, but these are out of my price range! Here's a more reasonable shoe, you could probably even add a bow or broach to dress them up.

Has anyone else done a colored shoe?

Chartreuse Ribbon

I finally received this Silk Shantique wired edge ribbon I ordered from http://www.jkmribbon.com/. I plan to use the ribbon for my invitations (more on that to come).

Here's my review:

Product: The color is perfect and the picture accurately represents it. After lots of searching, both online and in stores, this is the only chartreuse silk dupioni ribbon I could find. I am picky about fabric quality and appearance and this ribbon definitely meets my standards. It will add some richness to our invitations.

Service: SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. It took six weeks to arrive. Which would have been fine if they had let me know, without me having to email them TWICE! The first time I emailed them, they refused to answer my question about the timing of shipping because it had been less than 14 business days since I ordered. With all that being said, I will be ordering again, because I can't find it anywhere else and luckily I have lots of time.

If you have a vendor review, I'd love to hear it!