in the finals

How exciting! The lovely ladies over at Elizabeth Anne Designs have chosen our rehearsal invites as one of the ten finalists for their DIY contest. Check it out here.

The wedding ornament search...

Just thought I'd post a little update, to let you all know that we have received our pro-pics (yea!). I am, however, still waiting for some pictures that my uncle took at our rehearsal. I'm hoping to get them from him tomorrow when we're at his house for our family's Christmas festivities. Most likely I won't start my recap until after Christmas. So, if you've been following along, or just checking in periodically, I appreciate your patience.

In the meantime, let's talk Christmas tree ornaments! (Yea!) I've been doing a little hunting online lately trying to find the "perfect" wedding-related ornament for our Christmas tree, and I've come to one conclusion...I'm too damn picky. For the most part, I've noticed that wedding-related ornaments fall into one of two categories, kitschy or classy. I can't really decide which route I want to take, but I have developed some criteria...

1. Avoid all ornaments that say "First Christmas". We lived together for two years before getting married, so it hardly feels like our *first* Christmas together.
2. Must have the year on the ornament. I would prefer the full wedding date, but the year will do if the ornament is right.
3. Preferably we can customize it with our names. This isn't a *must*, but it's something I've been taking into consideration.

Below are some of the ornaments on my list of possibilities. We'll start with the "classy" category...

Clockwise from top left: Pottery Barn's Monogrmmable Locket Ornament, Holiday Moments Heart Ornament, Create Your Own Heart Ornament, Holiday Moments Snowman Couple Ornament

Starting with the Pottery Barn locket, I like the option of adding wedding pictures to the locket, but you would only see them if you opened the ornament. Also, I'm not a fan of our monogram options (RKR or R&R)...and there is no year on the ornament, which breaks rule #2. The other two silver-plated ornaments (heart and snowmen) are from Things Remembered, and the text can be customized to say whatever we'd I'd like. I kind of like that the snowmen (persons?) ornament has a little kitschiness to it as well. It is probably my favorite out of this bunch. The text on the glass heart can also be customized, so we could use "Just Married" in lieu of "Our First Christmas", if I choose to go the glass route.

On to the kitschy...

Clockwise from top left: Just Married Ornament, Gingerbread Bride and Groom, Just Married Car, Just Married Snowmen

I'll admit, this is the style that I am favoring right now. I prefer our tree to tell our story rather than have a specific color scheme, and although I am not normally a kitschy person when it comes to decor, I think these ornaments have a certain level of charm to them. The gingerbread bride and groom remind me of the gingerbread ornaments my uncle made for each of the grandchildren in our family growing up. They seem to break rules #2 and 3, but I could easily use rub-ons or a paint pen to customize the backs of them to say our names and wedding date. The other three I like for their obvious weddingness. (I'm really throwing out the made up words today, aren't I?) The first car I like, but the blond hair on the bride throws me off. I am very much a brunette, and although it's a minor detail, it still bugs me. The downfall of the second car is that it can only fit the year (not the full date) it. The last car, with the snowpeople, is on the verge of being too kitschy for me...but then again, I kind of like it.

So, now that you've seen proof of my over-analytical mind, which way do you lean? Is your tree classy or kitschy? If you are already married, where did you find your wedding ornament?

A calm before the storm...

Starting today, I'll be taking a little break from the blog world while I knock a few of the more important to-dos off my list. I'm hoping it won't be long, as I'm sure to suffer some serious withdrawal symptoms.

Here are some of the things I'll be working on during my break:

• finishing wedding thanks yous (two months is approaching VERY quickly)
• coming up with some [more] solid cover letter templates for my job search(because frankly, what I've been using is pretty pathetic)
• forcing myself into a daily schedule so that I can be more diligent at making sure I am applying for good jobs more frequently
• working on a blog redesign over here

Most importantly for any readers here, I'll also be organizing the photos for our wedding recap. (Yea!) I've been holding out for the pro pics, and I should be getting them any day now.

In other news, I officially unsubscribed from my beloved Weddingbee today. It really wasn't as tough as I thought it might be, but it does sting a little. At this point I'm finding that I'm not as interested in the wedding stuff as I was during my own planning, but if it's there in my gReader, it'll suck me in anyway. I still have a few wedding related blogs lingering in the reader, but they aren't popping out 20+ posts a day, and therefore don't suck up as much of my time. :) I can always go back and check on my favorite bees when the feeling strikes, right? Right?!

I'll be back with the wedding recap ASAP. In the meantime, here's a little peek at what's to come:

photo by Sheryl Soule Photography

DIY Project 6: The Cardbox (part two)

{part one}

When we left off with the cardbox, we were here...

The boxes were each wrapped in fabric and my "helper" was standing guard. In order to finish things off, you will need the following items:

*2 spools of wired ribbon, width of preference (mine were the standard length rolls at JoAnn)
*heavy duty scissors and/or box cutter
*regular scissors
*velcro or glue

Note: I chose to use velcro to attach the ribbons to each box so that they could easily be removed. This gave me the option to save some space in our "wedding room" by storing the boxes nested inside one another until the wedding. I was also hoping (and still am) that this box would be able to be reused at another wedding after ours. Knowing that brown, orange, and burgundy/purple is not a common color scheme for weddings, the velcro allows for our ribbon to be easily removed, and new ribbons to be attached to each box.

Starting with the largest/bottom box, cut four slits through the underside of the box (as seen below) so that two of the slits will be towards the front and back of the box (burgundy ribbon) and two will be towards the right and left sides (orange ribbon). Cut two pieces of ribbon for the front and back sides, and attach a small piece of velcro on each end of the ribbons. Thread one piece of ribbon through the front slit and use the velcro to anchor the end inside the box. Pull the ribbon taught against the front of the box and over the box top. Anchor this end of the ribbon inside the top of the box. Repeat with the other ribbon along the back side of the box. In the pictures below, you can see what the bottom of the cake box will look like once it is completed, and what the top of the large box will look like with the ribbons wrapped around the front and the back.

left: bottom view of bottom box; right top of bottom box

For the middle box, the first ribbon will be centered in the front of the box. Anchor this piece on the inside of the bottom of the box and pull it through the card slot. Anchor the other end in the inside of the card slot. Anchor the next ribbon on top of the card slot, inside the box, making sure the two ribbons align with each other. Pull this ribbon over the top of the box, anchoring the other end inside the bottom of the box in the back. Make sure to align the ribbons on this box with the ribbons from box one. The pictures below show the bottom (left) and top (right) of the middle box.

left: bottom of middle box; right: top view of middle box

On the bottom of the top/smallest box, cut a slit toward the front and a triangle toward the back of the box. The triangle should be big enough to reach your finger into to anchor the ribbon (see image below). Cut one length of ribbon to reach from the front to back of the box. With the top off, slide one end of the ribbon through the slit and anchor it inside the box. Replace the box top of the box and pull the ribbon over the box and into the triangle opening. Anchor the other end inside the box. Once again, ensure that the ribbon aligns with the ribbons on the middle and bottom boxes in front and back.

bottom view of top box

If you've made it this far, YEA! You're almost done, and I promise this is easier to do than it is to read through (or write out)!

The next two ribbons will be used to "wrap" the sides of the box. For my box I took one spool of ribbon and cut it in half attaching velcro at only one end of each ribbon. Slide the velcro end of one ribbon through one of the empty slots on the bottom box. Repeat using the last ribbon and the final open slot.

This is when you'll need to stack all of the boxes on top of one another. I used four small pieces of velcro between each layer of boxes to secure them together. Once you have the boxes layered, pull the two side ribbons up and tie a bow as if you were wrapping a gift. Cut the ends of the ribbons to the desired lengths and "curl" them how ever you'd like.

Now pat yourself on the back and admire your pretty cardbox. Here is another picture of my completed box...

This was a pretty wordy tutorial (my head is spinning from writing it), but again, I promise that the process itself is not that difficult. If you are interested in taking on a project like this, and I can help clarify anything for you, please don't hesitate to send me an email.

State fair engagement pics...

I know I posted some WB engagement pictures recently, but I ran across these tonight (I'm playing catch-up) and I had to show them off because I am totally green with envy. I present to you Mr & Miss Fondue's State Fair e-pics...

Looking at these really gets me thinking back on our e-pics and how I really wish we would have thought of a more unique location. Oh how we adore the Minnesota State Fair. The possibilities would have been endless.

Right before the picture below, Miss Fondue states, "We took a break in front of a food stand. We were unfortunately out of money, so we couldn't actually get any fair food to take pictures with. Those ride tickets are pricey!"

Blasphemy! There's always money for fair food! Pronto-pups, corn-on-the-cob, mini donuts, Mike's Hamburgers...YUM-O! (Nine and a half months to go and my mouth is already watering.)

That's it, right here, right now, I'm vowing that once we have some kiddos running around our (hopefully bigger) home, we're getting some family photos taken at the fair. Mr. Y, I hope you're on board!

All photos by Kate Crafton.

And now it's their turn...

Congratulations go out to Guilty and Baddie who are getting married today! In addition to our own wedding, there are a few other weddings in this great blogosphere that I've been looking forward to this fall, and Guilty and Baddie's wedding is at the top of that list. They have such an amazing story, and I'm so glad that I happened across it during my own wedding planning. Seriously, if you're not familiar, I suggest that you make yourself some tea, cuddle up on the couch with your laptop and your favorite quilt, and start reading here.

To Guilty, I hope that you and Baddie have a truly wonderful day today. I can't wait to read about it all, and (of course) to read about what you'll do next. :)

CONGRATULATIONS!!

To those of you who may wonder where I've run off to lately, I apologize for my scarce postings. Admittedly, I have been spending some of my time over here, but mostly I've just been taking a break...celebrating this while also being really pissed off sulking over this. Don't worry though, I have more diy on it's way, as well as a plethora of pro pics from our wedding day.

Don't vote, just watch...

In Minnesota you can register to vote at the polls, on November 4th (election day). There's no excuse not to be there. My [voting] motto is...if you don't vote, don't b*tch!

The Taffy engagement shoot...

Have you seen Miss Taffy's engagement photo teaser over at Weddingbee? If not, I highly recommend that you take a look. Not only are the photos themselves wonderful, but they did a great job at finding a location with meaning...and they look so darn relaxed in front of the camera.

Photos by A Girl in Love

No doubt the Taffy's will have some lovely wedding photos, as well.

DIY Project 6: The Cardbox (part one)

Cardbox by ebay seller weddingmainst (top) and our DIY cardbox (bottom)

The image above served as inspiration for the cardbox/money holder at our reception. While I love the work of ebay seller, weddingmainst, her cardboxes were far out of our budget. So, on one of my many pre-wedding trips to JoAnn, I picked up three paper mache hat boxes, some inexpensive fabric and ribbon, and I had yet another DIY project on my hands.

If you like this look, here's what you'll need to DIY it yourself:

*2-3 paper mache or other sturdy boxes
*1 1/2 to 2 yards of fabric
*2 spools of wired ribbon, width of preference (mine were the standard length rolls at JoAnn)
*pencil or marker
*heavy duty scissors (I used these) and/or box cutter
*regular scissors
*flexible tape measure
*iron (to rid fabric of creases)
*spray adhesive
*fabric glue or glue gun/glue sticks
*velcro (optional)

A note on the boxes...If you search online for 'paper mache boxes', you will be able to find other shapes and sizes. I had looked a little online, but felt I needed to see the boxes in person to really get an idea of their actual size. When I went to JoAnn, I brought a large card/envelope with me so that I could use it to figure out what sizes would work best. Originally, I had wanted square boxes (like in the inspiration picture), but JoAnn did not have any that would have been big enough for the cards, so I went with round. I found that the 10" (diameter) box was a little too small for the card to fall through properly, so I ended up using that size for the top tier, and the 12" and 14" inch boxes for the middle and bottom tiers.

The first step is to cut matching 10" holes in the lid of the bottom box and bottom of the middle box so that the cards will fall through when inserted in the slot. In order to make sure I centered the hole, I measured 2" in from the edge all the way around the the lid on the bottom box, leaving mark each time. (D'ya get that?) This left me with a circle pattern to follow as I cut.

Next, cut the hole out of the lid. The boxes were a lot tougher to cut than I had thought, so the box cutter really came in handy to get through all of the layers. Once I had cut a ways into the lid with the box cutter, I used my cordless scissors (dorky, I know) to make a clean cut all the way through. (Click any image to enlarge.)

top tier and bottom tier with hole cut in the lid

Once you have the hole cut in the lid, use it to trace a circle onto the bottom of the middle box (making sure it is as best centered as possible) and cut out the hole. Then, draw a slit on the side of the middle box big enough to fit a greeting card envelope, and cut out the hole. The middle box should look something like this:

middle tier with bottom and slit cut out

Measure the height and circumference (distance around) of each box, and cut the fabric to fit, giving yourself and inch or two of extra fabric on all sides. Do the same for the lids, taking into consideration that you will only need enough fabric on the top of each lid to cover the area that will be seen. (The lid for the top tier will be the only one that will be completely covered.) Once you have the fabric cut, you may want to iron it to get rid of any creases.

Lightly cover a section of the side of the bottom box (without lid) with spray adhesive. Lay one end of the fabric onto the box and ensure it is smooth. Continue spraying adhesive and smoothing down fabric until the box is covered (being careful not to spray the fabric in the process). For the edge of the fabric, use a glue gun or fabric glue to create a hem-like fold, and glue the creased end down to the box. Use your glue gun or fabric glue to glue down the extra fabric to the bottom and inside of the box. (See picture below.) Repeat these steps for the middle and top tier boxes.

side and bottom view of the bottom tier

One additional step for the middle tier is to cut and glue back the fabric for the card slot. When cutting the fabric, you'll want to make sure that you can cover all of the edges of the slot. In order to be able to cover the edges, your cuts should look something like the diagram below. (The final picture in this post shows what this slot will look like.)

fabric cut lines for card slot

Use the same "spray and smooth" method to adhere the fabric to the sides of the lids. For the bottom and middle tier lids, use glue to adhere the fabric to the top. I found that the best way to glue the fabric to the top of the lid was to put a bead of glue near the edge of the fabric and then smooth it down starting at the edge of the lid and moving toward the center. Then I went back and glued down the rest of the fabric, giving it a pleated look as seen in the picture below.

lid of middle tier

Since lid for the top box is fully visible, I had to come up with a different method. What I decided to do was to cut a small hole in the center of the lid. The hole had to be big enough to pull the fabric through, but small enough so that it could be hidden by the ribbon I would be putting on the box. Once I had the fabric glued to the side of the box, I pulled the fabric through the hole, making sure that it was pulled tight. I covered the extra piece of cardboard from the hole with a small piece of fabric, and carefully glued it in to cover the hole, and keep the fabric in place. You can see the result in the image below. (You can also see where I accidentally sprayed adhesive on the fabric I was using.)

lid of top tier

When finished, the top tier should look like this:

top tier

The fabric boxes should look something like this when stacked:

finished boxes & obligatory "helper" picture

I will post the directions for positioning the ribbons in another post to come soon. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions.

{part two}

The guest list debate...

Like many blogging brides, as our wedding day approached, I had less and less time to keep up with my friends in the blogosphere. It has taken me a couple of weeks, but I am finally caught up with my reader.

I think it was last week some time that I came across a post by Meg over at A Practical Wedding. The post was titled "Betwixt and Between Brides (and Grooms)" and it was about feeling "betwixt and between" about certain aspects of one's wedding...particularly one's budget.

Apparently, the topic came up in an email from a reader who felt that her budget left her judged by the over-the-top wedding crowd for not spending enough on her (their?) wedding day, as well as by the "super-budget" brides for spending too much. Meg discusses how she can relate to this comment, and goes on to talk about the amount of judgement that befalls all couples planning a wedding.

It was while reading this article, that I remembered something that I had wanted to blog about while I was still in the planning process, but never took the time to do it. It was not about the great budget controversy, but instead about guest lists. You see, I read a fairly large variety of wedding blogs, and for the most part, everyone seems to embrace the "to each her (or his) own" philosophy. On occasion, an individual (myself included) will get upon his/her soapbox, and tell it like it is...in his/her world, at least. In regards to guest lists, I have found (*opinion*), in both reading and conversations with friends, that couples who choose to have small weddings can tend be critical towards those having larger weddings. In fact, they can really give big weddings a bad rap...and frankly, I don't like it.

Below is the comment I left on Meg's blog in regards to this topic, and remember, this is just one person's opinion...

So, I'm a little late reading this (catching up on posts after my wedding), and I'm certainly not the only one to relate to this post.

My biggest "betwixt and between" feeling was not around budget, per se (although I relate to that, too), but around the number of guests we invited to our wedding. I feel (because of posts I've read) that many couples who decide to have small(er) weddings are convinced that all big weddings are due to pressure from one or both sets of parents.

My husband and I are lucky to have parents who have not only supported us in our relationship, but supported us throughout our wedding planning, as well. We had 280+ guests on our list with about 210 guests in attendance at our wedding. Many of these guests were extended family and friends of our parents (and grandparents) that we were more than happy to invite. Some of these people, we didn't know well, and in a few cases, not at all.

My grandma, her best friend, V, and V's daughters...our "wedding crashers".

Grandma and V have been friends since high school. V and her daughters traveled from CA for our wedding.

Could we have saved money by not inviting these guests? Sure. For us, our wedding was not just about the two of us, but also about the families involved. I was thrilled that our parents wanted to celebrate this occasion with their friends...why shouldn't they? I could only hope that our wedding day was just as much a joyful day for them as it was for us. Again, I say that we were happy to invite these people...and post wedding, my opinion hasn't changed.

So, what have been some of the eye-opening comments that you have heard during your wedding planning process?