Save those heels from sinking in grass & get grass stains out of your heels!

Okay Ladies it's time to share an age-old problem that I've encountered too many times at other weddings as well as my own.

It's sinking in the grass.

We all dread it, but we love our heels and wouldn't go without them on the grass because:
A. it's a wedding. You've got to have your photos look nice
B. heels make our legs look amazing

So as badly as our heels turn into cleats on a lawn, we all love a pretty pair of heels, grass be damned. What's a girl to do? don't say switch to flats, get Heels Above!  I not only got married outside, I had a million photos taken outside with my bridal party.  I had ivory shoes (can you say grass stains) and they had silver.  It had rained the entire week before my wedding so the grass was pretty damp.  I would have loved to have these.  It's so hard traipsing around in a big dress while you're sinking every step.

these shoes had removable embellishments

Still dealing with grass stains on your beautiful wedding shoes?  Here's what I did to fix it.
I took a scoop of oxyclean and put it into a big plastic bucket (the kind you find in a home improvement store) and filled it with water to just cover the shoes.  I let the shoes soak overnight in the bucket (my shoes had no embellishments, they were strictly fabric.  Not sure if this would rust shoes that have bling).  Then I took the shoes out of the soak and threw them in the washing machine on delicate and threw in another big scoop of oxyclean.

Intimate Wedding - Zuckerberg marries long-time girlfriend Priscilla Chan

via graziadaily

Zuckerberg surprized guests at a graduation party for his long-time girlfriend, Priscilla Chan.  Instead of walking into the expected party, guests ended up celebrating the couple's wedding.  The small guest list of about 100 people got to see the couple exchange their vows in a traditional and low-key style.

Zuckerberg is no stranger to the spotlight. From the movie The Social Network to the stock sale of Facebook, Zuckerberg has been heralded as a genius and vilified as a thief. The need for such a personal thing to be out of the public eye was most likely behind the couple's decision to share this special event with friends and family in private fashion.

Many couples are now turning to small venues and intimate weddings.  It makes the event feel even more special when shared with a small group of only the closest people in your life.  Why are so many couples choosing to go small for weddings?  I've put together a list of great reasons to not invite everyone you've ever met to your wedding.

7 Benefits to to hosting a small Wedding

1. Cost.  This is usually the first thing that comes to mind.  Weddings are a big expense.  Cut down the guest list and you cut down the food and bar bill (usually the biggest costs involved).
2. Intimacy. Do you really need to invite your second grade teacher?  No. and she's probably not going to remember you anyway.  Keep it small.  It's less stress on the couple and easier to manage.
3. Giving guests their proper acknowledgement.  If you have a huge group, how in the world will you ever say hello to everyone?  You know you'll get stuck at the table with the one that blabbers on and on and some guests will feel snubbed if you don't say hi.  Keeping your list small ensures you get to give your guests the welcome feeling they deserve.

Damask Wedding Inspiration

via bellacupcakecouture.com

According to Wikipedia, "Damask is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave. Twill damasks include a twill-woven ground or pattern."

The way we typically think of it today is by the distinct repeating floral pattern that you see in wallpapers or designs. Typically today Damask is a solid color graphic icon set upon a contrasting background.

Big Bold graphic prints are hot right now for modern weddings. It's no wonder so many brides are drawn to not only damask, but leopard print, zebra print and other big bold patterns.

Pretty DIY Project: Kissing crystal

Ever wanted to have mistletoe hanging in your home but felt it looked a little blah?

Today's little project is my blingy take on the traditional hanging mistletoe in your home. It only cost me around $3 to make it too. If you're getting married and having a Christmas themed wedding, this would be a really cute favor to give to guests.

And the Winner Is.....

The winner of the Bachelorette Party giveaway is Alica Cohick!  Congratulations!  Please private message me with your details so I can mail you your kit.

thank you to everyone that entered the contest.  I hope to have many more soon!

Winter Wedding Nails

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If you're tired of the same old french manicure for bridal nails, why not try something different that goes with the season?

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If you're a winter bride, why not do something pretty like snowflake nails, silver and white stripes or something festive for the holiday season?

When choosing your wedding nails, remember the wedding is just one day; but you'll have your polish color long after.  

Don't keep a boring polish on for your honeymoon!

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I've searched for all kinds of pretty nail designs to keep the winter blues away, but still give you a feminine bridal look.

Here's some pretty winter nail inspiration for you:

DIY Christmas gift - Festive Pin-up girl plates

Two Completed Plates

Hi All,

Tis' the season for going broke buying those gifts for everyone....not!

To bring back the spirit of the season I'm making gifts for as many people as I can to give something personal and special (and of course fun)!

My 4 Ready to Go Christmas Pin-Up Designs

For my cousin that I love dearly, I decided to make her festive vintage pin-up girl plates. I know she will go crazy for them. I wanted to make her some festive plates because I know she loves entertaining guests and loves things that are fabulously girly (read feathers, glitter & bling) and I knew pin-up girls with fun sayings would make her squeal for joy.

Cyber Monday Wedding Deals & Steals!

Are you a Bride Looking for a great deal?  If you're a bargan shopper, Cyber Monday may be your chance to snag some great deals on that stuff for your wedding?

• Shop for all kinds of things on Overstock and get 10% off by clicking here
• Macy's get free shipping at $75 + save money with online deals.  Use code CYBER
• Custom Made Handbags & more  Get 30% off + free shipping.  Makes a great gift for bridesmaids, Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Groom & Flowergirls! Use Code CYBER11
•  Every shoe displayed on this page can be purchased on Amazon. Just click on them!  Get Black Friday Deals today by entering SHOECM11 at Checkout. You'll save 25% off shoes that are $75 or more and 30% off shoes that are $150 or more!
• Oriental Trading has lots of black friday deals today plus free shipping and a $10 gift card when you spend $59 or more!  Enter code WCE2507 at checkout to get this deal! 

Cheap centerpiece vase DIY project

The bonding glue

A completed wedding arrangement vase

Having been to many weddings where the bride decides on an arrangement that's too tall to talk over, I knew I wanted something that was shorter, but still elegant. Also, my fear was that a tall arrangement would be quite expensive.

Another way for me to cut costs, (while still being able to give my guests the arrangements) was to do the bases myself.

A christmas cocktail party and a FREE template!

Please don't get mad that I'm talking about Christmas when it's not thanksgiving yet... 

Hey, at least I'm not one of those crazy people that puts up their lights and decorations before Halloween even happens.  Yeah, you know what neighbors I'm talking about.

Anyway, you have to start thinking about these things ahead of time, especially since everyone's party calender gets totally filled up if you wait until December.

So Today I'm sharing my DIY Christmas cocktail party invitations.  I think they're fun and festive and perfect for my low-key get-together.

Our Wedding Menu

My husband lovingly refered to my enhancement of all wedding paper products as "be-dazzling".  One of my guests laughed when she was at the wedding. "The way he was talking, I was expecting everything completely covered in rhinestones."
I simply afixed 1 rhinestone to these menus on the end of the "swirl" of the M in menu.
If you got a chance to see my invitations, I added rhinestones to the bottom of the anchor points and 1 in the top loop of the anchor.  Nothing was over-the-top blinged out.  I'd say it was understated and made my nautical wedding a bit more feminine.

Not only did I think our Menu's were delightful, the food at our wedding was fantastic!  Not many people can say this.  Our salad was perfectly dressed and every entree was delicious.

Wedding Sneak Peek - Ocean View Inn

Stay tuned in October to see the photos of this amazing wedding located at the Ocean View Inn in Gloucester, Massachusetts. I've added a few teaser shots for you before the fun begins. This was a wedding with a budget of $25k and guest total of 133 people. By doing major DIY projects I believe this wedding turned out looking like a $50k wedding. It's amazing how a wedding can turn out when you have it planned correctly and allocate your budget to the right places.

Contact me for more information on how I can make your next event a night to remember.

How to throw a glamourous, stylish and over-the-top Wedding

I've decided to put together a guide for any Bride and Groom that want to throw a top-notch wedding on a limited or average budget.  This is for the Bride & Groom that are in love with the show "Platinum Weddings" on WE tv but can't afford a 60k+ wedding. 

10. The most expensive part of a Wedding is the food and drinks.  Keep your guest list small to ensure you get a quality day, not a quantity day.  The more people, the more extras you'll have to cut elseware making your event feel less unique, fun and exciting.

Freebie Friday - Feather Collection Download

I hope that you've enjoyed our free downloads as much as we have to provide you them.  Today is the last day of free downloads in our collection of Bridal Shower downloads for the feather collection. 

Today we have a display sign to welcome guests to your Bridal Shower.  It's a little touch that goes a long way in thanking guests for attending your event.  The sign is 8.5" x 11" (Letter paper size).  The sign reads "Thank you for attending the Bridal Shower for our lovely Bride to be"  The bottom has been left blank to add the name of the Bride if you wish.

To display the sign I recommend first printing on cardstock or another heavy stock paper and either using a display stand or mounting the sign to a piece of styrofoam board (yep the same stuff you used in science class to display projects) and then placing on a tall stand.

Simply edit in any art program or open in a word document and add a text box to enter the name of the Bride. 

To Download:
Simply click on the image and the full 8.5x11 document should open.  To save the image right click and select "save as" and save in your desired location.

If clicking will not download the image, try dragging the image off of the screen and droping it onto your desktop.

Welcome bags

The wedding is 2 weeks away and I am at the end of my budget. If you're a bride in the same position, but still want your guests to feel taken care of, DIY Welcome bags might be a good option for you.

What's Involved in a Welcome bag?

A good welcome bag should alieve a few questions and problems that guests might run into while attending your event. If people are staying over, it's always a good idea to give them some of the basics to get them through their stay.  A welcome bag can have as many or as few things below as you want to include.  Below are some common things a welcome bag does:

• It gives guests a little welcome note from the Bride & Groom
• It provides guests with important phone numbers.
• It gives an itenerary of what's going on, where and when.
• It tells guests where they can go to do things in the area
• It provides snacks so they don't have to pay for anything from their fridge
• It helps fix pre & post event trama (hangovers, cuts, headaches, stomachaches)

Some brides know all guests are staying over and have their welcome bags go double duty and work as favors as well.  This is a nice thing to give, however I wanted this to be a separate thing for people staying over. Think of your bag as being ingredients to bake a cake.  What do you want that's special to you or matches your wedding theme that would work in the welcome bag?

My Nautical Themed Welcome / Out-of-Town bag Ingredients:

• Paper lunch bags (yep, just the plain old brown ones you get in a grocery store)
• A Printer
• labels (optional)
• A Welcome brochure - custom made by yours truly.
• cheddar goldfish
• swedish fish
• lifesavers
• treat bags
• treat bag toppers
• Water bottles
• water bottle labels
• Green Tea
• Green Tea packages
• Hot Cocoa packets
• Hot Cocoa packet sleeves
• Ribbon

Instructions:

I designed my own Monogram logo already and created a new file in Adobe Illustrator with the logo, a pretty font that says "Welcome" above the logo and our wedding date under the logo.  I created the artboard size to be the dimensions of a paper bag (I think around 5.25in x 9in).  Modify your working area to match your bag.

Do a test print.  If you printer refuses to take the paper bag and just eats it, move on to printing onto labels and just stick them on the outside of the bag.

Either purchase your own monogramed labels from a company that prints customized products or use printable labels and print them directly from your computer.  Remove the current labels on the bottle and stick these on your water bottles.

I will soon add a teabag template to this site so you can make your own teabag cases.  You could also simply purchase customized teabags to your bags.

Cocoa packet templates will also be available soon.  These are perfect for the fall or chilly winter months.  These can be purchased customized for your wedding as well.

I got my treat bags at Target.  You can get yours here if you need some.  These are little plastic bags perfect for fillings will candy, cookies and other treats.  I filled each bag with either cheddar goldfish, lifesavers or swedish fish.  I made little paper toppers to close up the bags with the title to match the ingredients.  The life savers said "Lifesavers.  Open in case of emergency"  The swedish fish said " Fresh caught Swedish Fish" and the Goldfish said "Goldfish Fish Bait".  You can attach with clear tape or staple the toppers to the bags.

I added my welcome brochure to the bags.  I had custom made these and included important phone numbers (hotel, taxi, hospitals, etc.), great local spots, a link to upload photos, a welcome message for guests and a Hangover helper guide for people recovering from a night of too much fun.  Check out my brochure here

Once you've got all your "ingredients" together, start assembling the bags with your goodies.  Each one of my bags has a welcome brochure, snacks, water, tea & cocoa.  You can also add things like local maps and a postcard.  Fold over the top of your bag and punch a hole.  Tie your ribbon through the hole.  Deliver your box to the hotel front desk and ask that your wedding guests receive their bags during check in.

 Really want guests to feel appreciated.  Provide some food for breakfast the next day or pamper them with a post-wedding bruch at a local restaurant.

It's Freebie Friday! Feather Collection Bridal Shower Menu

Looking to showcase your line-up of delicious foods for your Bridal Shower?  Look no further than the beautiful Blue and Gold Feather-themed menu we have today. 

It's part of our 4 week giveaway.

The menu in this post is an example of what types of foods you could serve at your Bridal Shower. 

In the free download the foods have been left blank so you can add whatever foods you wish.

What are all those crazy titles? 

I've put the titles in English and French.  They run as follows:

• Start - This could be an appetizer, refreshment or simple amuse-bouche 
• Savory - Anything savory would be something without a lot of sweetness to it.  Meat, sandwiches, vegetables.  Place your main food served at your event into this category.
• Sweet - This would be where you would list your dessert(s)
• Refreshments - Any beverages you plan to serve would go in this section.

Free DIY template - Best Wishes Bird Garland

From the Feather collection and part 2 of our series giveaway comes another freebee for you.  Our DIY garland template.

Click here to download the garland template.

What you'll need:

• 2 sheets Heavyweight paper (cardstock is a good choice)
• 
  scissors
• 
  glue
• 
  crepe paper
• satin ribbon (1/2" thick is probably the optimal size)

How to:

1. Print two copies of the file on heavy cardstock and cut out the rounds.
2. Take some crepe paper and fold accordian style around each round from the 1st sheet you cut out so you get a fanned out circle; glue down the crepe paper.
3. Lay out the letters to say "Best Wishes", then flip them so that the backs are facing you.
4. Take a piece of satin ribbon and lay it on top of the crepe papered letters; glue the ribbon to the crepe letter.
5. Place some glue on top of the ribbon on each letter.  Take your matching letter (so "B" with "B", etc.) and place it on top.  You should now have a "letter sandwich"  That is layered letter, crepe paper, ribbon, letter.
6. Repeat this for all the letters spelling out "Best Wishes" 

Use the Bird circles either in the center of the two words, or print extras to make pretty ribbons to hang or pin onto your Bride-to-Be.

Feel free to embelish these with glitter, rhinestones or anything else you like.

I apologize for the shot above.  I had forgotten a big part of the sign, ribbon.  It was really tough to get the sign to stay put because of it.  make sure you remember to use ribbon instead of string.