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.

What's your Party personality type?

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 Ever wonder why you struggle planning a party?  Or maybe you wonder why you're so stressed?  If you've ever wondered how to host a better party, you might need to start with figuring out what personality type you are.  You can easily determine the type of personality you have when it comes to planning by the list I've put together of Party Planner personality types.  Which one are you?

Just as every party is unique in its own way, so are the individuals that host them.Once you know what type you are, you can be better prepared in how to handle planning a party.

You can better determine you plan of action with my guide to dealing with your personality type below.

The No-Fuss Party planner:  You're a casual type of person.  You don't like drama, you don't like worrying about the details.  All you want is for your guests to have a good time.  You're idea of setup is throwing on the radio, putting out some cold appetizers and making sure your alcohol is refrigerated.
The Benefits: The relaxed and casual environment is nice for guests and friends.
The Problems:  You have to choose your audience wisely.  You probably can't mix your rowdy friends with your uptight grandparents if it's a BYOB type of party.
The Solution: Hire an event planner for your party.  They can take care of the details you don't want to stress over and can suggest great ideas to keep your party low-fuss but still feel more personalized than just turning on any music and serving basic foods.  It will be the extra touch to make guests feel special and the link that will make mingling between ages and personalities possible.

When DIY just isn't the answer

 Do you know when enough is enough?  There is a point in every crafters life when they have to say to themselves "Put down the gluegun and save your own sanity".  A wedding is a great time for this and possibly the quickest way to reach your point of breaking or that of your significant other.

As an art student, I set my crafting standards high.  I wanted to do everything for my wedding and as the maid of honor in another, I wanted to take projects on as well.  The reason being that:

1. I do not have an unlimited budget for my wedding.  Would I have loved a $70-$100k wedding, sure.  My budget is more like $20-25k, but I expect it to look (when I'm done) like it was at least $50k or more.

2. I like things a certain way and I'm very detail oriented.  I wanted my theme to carry through in everything I did, so designing myself was key.

3. I went a little project crazy.  I saw my first quote on flowers and considered doing all the centerpieces myself & even my own cake.  This would be on top of aisle runners, my veil, photo books, invitations, menus, table names, etc.  Luckily, since I insisted on making my own cake for my friends bridal shower, I quickly realized that making my cake for my wedding would be wayyyyyy to stressful.  I happily paid the baker.  Searching for another florist meant that I found a place that would do MORE for HALF the cost.

I started driving my fiance nuts.  Every moment I was home, I was doing crafts.  I enjoyed it, but he was clearly annoyed.  Some things I took on failed miserably.  I tried different gel pens to test the theory of printing black ink on a dark envelope and tracing.  I can trace fine, the issue was the pens.  I gave up and realized, "better left to the professional".  I have my moments and every crafter or bride should realize that at some point paying someone is more worth it for certain things.

Your guide to "When DIY just isn't the answer"

Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does my project take an exorbitant amount of time to do. And can it be done quickly by a professional?
2. Are you spending more in supplies trying to "get it right" or fixing mistakes?
3. Are you stressed out or have too many other tasks going on at the same time?

4. Does it look like your little cousin billy that's 5 did it?

If any of the above are true, hire someone.  Even if it's for a few things, it shouldn't take you over budget.  It should lower your stress levels, give you more time and make you a happy bride!

DIY Pomander Centerpieces

Love floral centerpieces, but hate the pricetag?  My florist quoted my $145 per table for this.  I made what you see here for $12.  These are fake flowers.  However, if you're brave you can order flowers and make them a couple of days before your wedding.

For Faux flowers:
- Syrofoam ball
- glue gun
- glue sticks
- faux flowers
- a base to hold the flowers (i used a candlestick holder)
- greens

For Real Flowers
- a tall bucket
-floral foam ball
- floral tape and wire sticks
- greens
- a base holder
- a base to hold the flowers (i used a candlestick holder)


Faux Flower Instructions:

1. Start to glue your flowers in a circle around your ball, but stop before the base.
2. Start gluing flowers in the other direction around your ball, stopping before the base.
3. Fill in flowers in the rest of the areas that are empty
4. Add greens or filler if desired
5. Place glue around your base/vase the pomander will be sitting on.  Place the bottom of your pomander on top of the glued base.

Real Flower Instructions:

1. Soak your floral foam ball in water in your bucket until soaked through.  The ball will float at first and sink when soaked through.
2. Snip the stems off your flowers to the desired length and stick into your ball, starting at the top and moving around the sides.  If your stems are not strong, use floral sticks and wire to strengthen the stems and then insert them into the ball.  Stop before the base.
3. Add your greens by attaching them to the stems of the flowers and wrapping with floral tape.  You can also alternatively attach them to the floral picks/sticks, but this may add more bulk than you want.
4. Place your base holder into your vase/base.  If it is noticeable, you may want to fill your vase/base with gel, beads, rocks, etc. to hide your base.  Stick your pomander on top of the base holder.  The holder should penetrate the bottom of your pomander to keep it steady.  You can alternatively make your own for your centerpiece.

Watch the Video How-To Instructions below on how I made my DIY Pomander Ball

Bridesmaid dresses and a Mom-zilla

This past weekend was our Bridesmaid Dress search.  I can tell you that my bridesmaids are great, it's dealing with my mom that isn't.  From seeing other moms at dress shops and my own experience, it seems like moms seem to think it's their day.  Does anyone else have the same experience with a Mom-zilla or do you seem to find your wedding to be a great bonding experience?

I've dealt with my mother saying I look fat in wedding dresses, to saying my color palettes should change to X to saying that my taste is horrendous.

I'm glad i picked out my gown with my friends rather than my mom; especially after my first try with her met with less than great confidence.

So since she nagged to come to the Bridesmaid dress search, I had her come along.  While (thank goodness) she didn't call my bridesmaids fat, she did put in her two cents... and not in a good way.  It wasn't a constructive criticism or a maybe you should try this or any sort of support.  It was, "You need to pick this dress length, this dress and this dress color".  I finally had it and said, "Listen, it's my wedding and I'm going to pick the bridesmaid dress that I think is best."  I said to myself,"Maybe I just came across as a bitch in front of my bridesmaids and the whole dress shop, but whatever.  She's being really demanding."

Am I out of line?  I don't mind her thoughts, but it was like she was making the final decision.

Here is the dress.  I loved it because it was glamorous, it worked on the body of all my girls and everyone seemed to like the dress.