Details, Details

I think my favorite part of weddings are all the tiny details. Things many people will not even notice...but I know they're there. And there are always those guests (my favorite ones of course *wink*) who catch every single one. Love.

I have been saving photos like no other of all my wedding details and so now I can share them here! Hopefully this will also make it easier for me to see what I have picked out and how those things are going to look together!

My dress, as I've previously posted, is quite big. It is not a ball gown because it is not all tulle and pouf. What it is, is a chiffon, silk and lace dream. Honestly, everyone who sees it says it looks like a cupcake or a dollop of whipped cream. It is a color called "antique gold" but it looks truly champagne in person. Like buttery soft yellow with a sheen. Seriously, you could probably lick it. :) To match this work of art, I have an elbow length ivory veil with beading around the edge. This will be worn for the reception obviously. Then, for the ceremony, I am going to remove the veil and add a fluttery flower behind my ear. My hair is going to be swept back into a low, romantic updo like this:

In order to compete with my dream of a dress, I wanted my beautiful girls to be in something similar. Its not like they could wear cotton, breezy dresses when I am in a super formal gown. I also knew I needed something flattering to all of them. My tallest bridesmaid is 5'9 and the smallest is 5'4ish (maybe, hehe). Obviously no girl is built the same, and I definitely did not want any of them to feel uncomfortable. One day, mom and I went and I tried on bridesmaid dresses just for fun. I picked a favorite and took my girls to go see it. They looked around the entire store and decided the one I had chosen was the one they wanted! So they will be in these adorable taffeta Mori Lee dresses, in Espresso, which is represented in the photo.

 

In person, this fabric has a slight sheen to it that matches my invitations perfectly. (Matchy matchy details!)

The minute the girls chose this dress, my mind was racing with shoe ideas. After all, I am a girl who owns over a hundred pairs of shoes and more often than not, my outfit is planned around my shoes. Shoes are the most important. I wanted the girls to have a fun, flirty pair of shoes they would not necessarily have a "reason" to buy until now but that they would be super excited to own. I think with this dress, the shoes I want are a 1940's-esque platform pump with some sort of cute embellishment in that amazing pomegranate color. These are my favorite I have found, BY FAR. I might buy a pair too, just because!

   

Ugh. Even looking at them now has me squealing at the screen. LOVE. 

One of the most important wedding details, in my eyes, is the cake. Of course it needs to be beautiful. But I am a traditionalist. It also needs to taste goooood. I have had some nasty wedding cake. And that's because there was more focus on the outside than the inside. I am simplistic in my view of a cake. I love the clean, white buttercream look. This is the cake I am wanting, but the centers of the flowers would be brown, rather than black. 

I also think this is a cake that we could make, if time and budget deems that necessary.

Going along with the color theme, I wanted a fun idea for escort cards. What we plan on doing is making a fun sign with guest's names and table numbers on them, and then at their seat they will find one of these sweet treats:

 

The labels will look MUCH different (aka match our theme) but this is the general idea. I think this is so cute and who doesn't love chocolate? Also, at Sam's Club these pretty candies are $10 for a box of 50. Not bad!

I know there are MANY more details but I will post about those as they come about! Can't wait to start getting some of this stuff done!

BIG check! Centerpieces!

Today was just one of those days where things just fell into place for the wedding. I love those days. I wish there were lots more of them than there usually are.

I have been going round and round about centerpieces. As usual, I have way too many ideas and far too little money or expertise to pull them all off. As with most things for this wedding, I wanted my centerpieces to be DIY. I also wanted them to be cost effective and not look cheap and cheesy. I know that is pretty dang near impossible to pull off but I was determined.

I thought about going the route of fresh flowers. I LOVE flowers, and I am totally going to splurge on fresh flowers for bouquets and bouts. But for centerpieces...I was just not sold. I mean, I have 12 tables to decorate. In order to make an impact, those would have to be some big centerpieces. And when big centerpieces meet fresh flowers, they make a flipping expensive wallet eating baby. Not cool. Besides the cost, what am I going to do with 12 huge floral arrangments after my wedding? Throw them away? Give them away? Seemed like a lot of money for something that can never be used again. So fresh flowers went out the window.

Since I am having a fall wedding with brown as my central color, I saw something super cute I was way into for awhile. Using coffee beans to fill a vase (maybe mixing in some colored beads for a pop) and putting some branches into them. Then stringing those branches with strands of crystals and hanging tea lights off of them. I still think this would be a gorgeous and fairly cheap centerpiece idea. Hello? Buy cheap coffee in bulk at Sam's Club and collect branches from local garden stores. I think I would spray paint the branches if I decided to do this so they looked uniform. Anyway, I just was not feeling this idea for my wedding. It's super pretty and cost effective, but I just feel like it did not match.

Then, when I was browsing photos of candy buffets, it struck me. If you've been keeping up with my blog, you will probably recall in the photo of the candy buffet that I love there are some floral arrangements in the back. It is basically a submerged flower, in water with a floating candle. I am in love with the simplicity and elegance of this idea. The challenge was making it happen. I originally thought Calla Lillies. They have a nice shape that would look simplistic and gorgeous submerged in water. And I would need exactly 12 of them. Hey! I could do fresh flowers that way! But after continuing with my "wedding research" I fell in love with flowers like peonies and anemones. Calla lillies are so not the same "type" of flower and so that idea went by the wayside.

Well, long story short...mom and I went out and about today to run errands and decided to go to Hobby Lobby to look for a stamp for my invitations. As any woman knows, you cannot walk into a Hobby Lobby without exploring the whole store. Before we knew it we found some beautiful aqua blue and ivory tulle for my flower girl tutu for $1.90 a yard. That was already a score so we were about to walk out the door when something caught my eye in the faux floral department. Normally, faux flowers are a HUGE no no to me. Just Yuck. Who wants fake flowers that obviously look fake at their wedding? The thing was, these did not look fake. They were gorgeous. The perfect color of pomegranate red faux phaelenopsis orchids. They were $5.99 a stem, which is pretty pricey until I looked up and saw that all faux flowers were 50% off today.only. Um, meant to be?! We selected the best ones and decided to go look at vases just for fun. When we got there, we found the most gorgeous 24" graduated pillar vases that the orchids fit inside perfectly. I almost screamed when I saw they were $27 apiece! ($27 x 12 tables = $324 for VASES alone!!) Then my mom pointed out to me the glorious bright red sign I had somehow missed. Those were 50% off too. SCORE!

I swear you have never seen a person go scramble for a cart so fast. We loaded those suckers up and got most the makings for my centerpieces for...are you ready...$180!!!!!! Yes. Victory. Sweet Victory.

When we got home I could not wait to try it out, so I put an orchid in a vase and filled it up with water. I almost freaked out for a second because the water turned a lovely shade of pink after I filled it up. Then I realized I had not removed the tag, which was bleeding red dye into the water. *phew* I arranged some tea lights I scrounged up around it to create a similar effect as what we will have at the reception ballroom. The result was stunning. I stood in the kitchen oogling that baby for a good 10 minutes. Wow. Just wow. For something so cheap and simple, it is simply gorgeous.As pretty as the orchids were outside of water, being inside the glass covered in water made them magnify by like 4 times. And they look real in the water. And they will not wilt! I left my centerpiece mock up assembled for six hours (roughly the time of the reception) and it still looked as gorgeous by the time I took it apart.

The only adjusting I am doing is adding some black river rocks to the bottom of the vase to anchor the orchid. Then, the whole thing will be placed on a mirror in the center of a round table (covered in bronzey-brown sheer table cloth) with tea lights scattered around. After seeing it, I decided the floating candle was completely unnessecary. The best part? I can assemble these ahead of time and the only thing I will need to do on the day of the wedding is fill them with water. SO HAPPY. I am in love!!!

Here's a sneak peak of my precious :)

Keep in mind, much more care will be taken in assembling them for the actual wedding. IE: no bubbles in the water, straight flowers, etc. but still, even for a rough draft...just gorgeous. And cheap without looking cheap at all. YAY! I can finally say it! Centerpieces: CHECK!

More Reeling over the Steelers

I know this is not wedding related AT all. But it is Christy related...and what is the point of having a blog if you cannot throw some personality into it? I have been a teensy bit slow keeping up with everything lately, since I started working again.

When I was online earlier, I made sure to check on the status of my Steelers, since the 2010 Draft began today. I was extremely saddened to learn that my precious Willie Parker has been traded to the Washington Redskins. As devastated as I am about him going *anywhere* that particular team actually makes me chuckle a little bit.

I am what you might call a "loather" of the Denver Broncos. I have never been a fan, and it is so annoying year after year to be stuck in a state where there are SO MANY fairweather fans. Literally, in this city: if the Broncos are winning, people "have loved them [their] whole lives" and will support them with crazed enthusiasm. But Heaven forbid they lose a game, get knocked out of the running in the playoffs or hire a coach that will not tolerate his FOOTBALL players being whiny prima donnas. Then its, "thanks a lot Josh McDaniels for screwing us over" or "those refs were bogus. The Broncos have always sucked." and these people who were swearing up and down the week before that they are diehard fans are spitting insults and hiding their Bronco flags inside a drawer. It is ridiculous. Disgusting. So.So.So.Annoying.

Anyway,  last year, longtime Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was FIRED (for not winning enough games for these poisonous "fans"). This year, he'll be coaching the Redskins. I laughed myself silly when I heard this. Denver fans hate the Redskins. I am not sure why. Then the Redskins signed Donovan McNabb. Then Willie Parker. And now, I am revoking my previous prediction of the Jets in the SuperBowl and replacing that prediction with the Redskins. I am just going to have to sit back and watch this coming year as they make it all the way. I have a feeling. I am not going to lie, I will be cracking up when Denver is crying about how Shanahan should still be in Denver when that happens. :) Evil? Maybe just a little.

In other news: the shameful mess that is my QB right now. Ben, Ben, Ben. *sigh* I guess this guy never learns. I am aware that football players and celebrities in general typically do lots of morally disgusting things and get away with it simply because they are famous. I am also aware that there are people in this world who target those celebrities and try to make money off them with some story about how they were raped, violated, etc. What I am not aware of is why Ben Roethlisberger would put himself in a situation where this would even be an issue in the first place. I mean, a 16 year old girl in a bar? Really? Makes me question his character. I do not know what really happened, but I am HAPPY that Ben has been placed on suspension for SIX (regular season) games. Roger Goodell was not messing around with this one, probably because he has been in trouble before. I am happy because it sends a good message. That just because you're famous you do NOT get to do whatever the hell you want with no consequence. I am unhappy because I was hoping for a better season this year and this will probably not help that cause.

Well...I am sure no one really cares about the goings-on in the world of the Pittsburgh Steelers besides me, but in closing, I am in mourning over the loss of my beloved #39. I really do not think my team will look right without him. :(

  

I will be missing you Buddy! But you can bet I'll be keepin' up with the Redskins this year!!! <3

Hormonal Birth Control = NOT a fan

I must apologize in advance for the content of this particular entry. I know it is a little personal talking about birth control, but it is one of those things I felt I needed to share my experience with. If you are uninterested in this girl's journey through hormone hell...feel free to skip this entry.

As a little background: when I was around 12 or 13 years old (like 7th grade), I began to have "morning sickness" like symptoms. I would wake up dizzy and just feel completely awful, sometimes even escalating into vomiting. I missed a LOT of school and just looked wrecked. Super skinny, sunken cheeks, black eyes, etc. The doctors really did not know what was wrong with me. Until one day when my mom and brother were leaving to go somewhere. I believe I was in 8th grade at this point. I remember sitting on the couch and my mom saying something to me about getting up to do something. I also remember not answering her...because a sudden pain in my abdomen had doubled me over. I distinctly remember writing to the floor and falling on my knees; tears were streaming down my face and I could not breathe. My mom thought I was crazy for a minute before she realized something was seriously wrong. This pain was unlike anything I have ever felt in my life and to this day, have NEVER felt anything so painful. It was on my left side and it just was a stabbing, ripping pain all over. I literally couldn't catch my breath. It hurt to try to gasp in air. Embarrassing as this may have been for him, my brother, who was about 16 at the time picked me up and carried me to the car. We drove to my family's Dr.

I know at first, they thought it was appendicitis. But after some short tests (like slapping me in the bottom of the foot repeatedly) they determined that that was not the case. I was sent to get an ultrasound. They discovered that I had a very large ovarian cyst that had ruptured. Since it had already ruptured they could not do anything for me besides tell me I had just endured worse pain than childbirth. Uhm YEAH! While doing the ultrasound, they discovered lots of other smaller cysts and reccommended I start birth control, as that usually helps them disappear. I flat out said no. I did not want to be 13 and on birth control and my mom kind of agreed with me. Besides, my mom was aware of all the creepy side effects of hormonal birth control and was not willing to put me through that.

Fast forward to today. I have struggled with my ovarian cysts ever since. The left side of my abdomen somtimes clearly shows that there is something inside of me, like a golf ball. (Gross, I know). Sometimes, they twinge and sometimes they throb like crazy. Thankfully, I have never had another one rupture that I knew of. Because of them, my periods have always been almost debilitating: heavy and painful. But I never got birth control. Until recently. Josh and I decided that this time right before the wedding was stressful enough and that after we're married, we'd like to be covered without an immediate pregnancy. So I went to the gynecologist and she reccommended a birth control called Nuvaring. I had heard good things about it from friends so I decided to finally bite the bullet and try.

I lasted five days. The side effects were unbearable. After five days. So I can only imagine what would have happened if I'd left it and continued to deal with them:

*Almost right away, I developed the weirdest headache. A dull pain right between my eyes that made it hard to see. That still has not gone away.
* My normally 6 day steady flow ended after ONE.
* The day after I inserted it, I could not comfortably fit into ANY of my work pants (which are normally held up by a belt)
* The first 2 days, I had no appetite at all. I would start eating something and then immediately feel sick.
* The next 3 days, I was hungry ALL the time.
* From day one, although I had no bleeding, I was in severe pain. Not menstrual cramps, but a pain throughout my entire abdomen.
* I had severe back pain (like my kidneys) and pain when using the bathroom.
* I found myself having incredibly vivid and dark dreams and thoughts. When I would snap out of it, I would be completely shocked that I wasn't watching a movie or something.

These are all terrible, and I was trying to battle through it, but I reached the end of my rope last night. Josh and I were laying in bed, Charlie between us. I was just working on the laptop and Charlie rested his head on my arm. Normally, this behavior would elicit oohs and ahs from me. But I was so annoyed. It was so irritating to me that he was breathing on my arm. I also found myself telling Josh to stop sniffling, which I am not even sure if he really was. UGH! When I tried to tell Josh I felt super annoyed with everything, I started crying. Uhm, super irritable one minute and emotional the next?! NO thanks!!! I took that sucker out right that minute. I woke up this morning looking skinnier than I have in months. All the water weight added on by the birth control must have subsided over night and then some. I also just felt...better. No headache. No pain. In a great mood. That hormonal birth control scares the crap out of me. I understand not every woman gets symptoms but the fact that I had them within a few days had me worried. I guess its back to the Dr. for me to try and figure out a different way. I can tell you, I will NOT be using any form of synthetic hormones from now on.

Off Season Heartbreak

As some of you may know, I am a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Its a long, silly story as to how I became one but since I was around 8 years old I have rooted for them. I got a little more intense in high school, when my dad finally sat me down and "tutored" me about football. I am proud to say I know more about the game than any other girl I have ever met before. Josh says that is one of the things that sealed the deal with me: that I LOVE football, I am not a fairweather Denver Broncos fan like most people in this state, and I can get a tiny bit intense when my boys are playing.

I guess you could say the last couple years have been a dream come true for Steelers fans. I have been having so much fun watching them succeed and falling in love with certain players. I always tell people that Willie Parker is my favorite because he is. Followed closely by Mr. Troy Polamalu. I mean, who doesn't like his perma-grin and long, flowing hair as he beats the hell out of the opposing team?  Last year, I was sort of in a state of mourning over my boys: Polamalu was injured for the majority of the season, and damn...what a difference that made in the way the team played. One thing I rejoiced in however, was the breakout performaces given by #10 Santonio Holmes. For Christmas, I wanted a Steelers jersey. I couldn't decided which player I wanted, and I asked Josh for a Holmes. He couldn't find one so I am proudly sporting #43 during all the games, but STILL. Love him. Great football player. Someone I was really looking forward to seeing wearing the black and gold for a long time.

Well my friends, today I signed on to Facebook and my Pittsburgh Steelers feed informed me that my beloved #10 has been traded to THE JETS!!!!!!!!! WHY?!?!?!?! I honestly stared at the computer screen with my jaw hanging open until Josh read over my shoulder this devastating news. He did not say anything either, he just made that face where you purse your lips in super tight and looked at me with raised eyebrows. If I wasn't so upset, I would have laughed. Josh knows how serious I am about my team and he was waiting for the storm. Well, there was one. I yelled. Used lots of obscenities. Pouted like a 4 year old. And now I am blogging it. I am in disbelief. Saddened...so very saddened.

All jerkface Kevin Colbert (Director of Football Operations for the Steelers) had to say about it was this:
“We have agreed to trade Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets. We believe the move is in the best interests of the Pittsburgh Steelers"

Pshh...how this is in the "best interest of the Steelers" is beyond me!  Apparently our dummy QB can keep getting into "altercations" in strip clubs with nothing more than a slap on the wrist, but Santonio has a less than stellar season last year and they trade him!!! Now, don't get me wrong...I love me some Ben but seriously...seriously?!?!? Does no one remember that *beautiful* game winning TD against the Cardinals in Superbowl XLIII?!?!

    

Yeah. That catch. Those toes. Than WIN!!!

It doesn't happen very often that I am disgusted with my team, but this is one of those times. Maybe by the time football season rolls around again, I will have tended my wounds and will not be so bitter. Maybe. 

  

Santonio, you will be missed buddy. As of this moment in time I am predicting the New York Jets are going to the Super Bowl this year. We'll see. You deserve better. Make 'em proud #10. <3

Shopping Success

Last week, as I was freaking out about all the DIY stuff I have gotten myself into, I had an epitome. My wedding colors are obviously brown, with pops of aqua blue and pomegranate pink. I figure, I could do my candy buffet for SUPER cheap if I just waited until after Easter and  bought some candy then. Chocolate doesn't go bad! I plan on keeping it down in the basement until the wedding. What I've bought so far is about 10 bags of Hershey Kisses (wrapped in cute blue and pink wrappers...mom and I have to take one for the team and eat the green wrapped ones...darn) and 10 bags of gorgeous pink M&Ms...for $13 bucks! Normally, those custom color M&Ms cost like $7 for a 7 oz bag!

I also went to Ross today and found some really awesome glass vases for my candy buffet. I got two big ones and a medium sized one for $10.00!!! I am happy I am finding deals with all this, I may just be able to pull it off after all!!! I will just have to keep looking at all the Ross Stores throughout Denver and hopefully I can pull together enough different vases to make my candy buffet look awesome!

I have also found soem amazing online deals for buying candy in bulk. I am going to wait for a lot closer to the wedding to order most of it (like gummy candies) because I want it to be fresh on the big day. So far, my favorite sites are:
http://www.candywarehouse.com/
They sell EVERYTHING, even by color. I am definitely going to go this route for my "rock candy." They have tons of different colors and flavors, and I just think rock candy is so nostalgic and pretty.

http://www.candydirect.com/http://www.candydirect.com/
Also has tons of every kind of candy you can imagine. I love this place because they will do free shipping on any order over $65.00. That is a HUGE deal! 

I am thinking in total, this little candy buffet escapade is going to cost me about $150. That is not bad at all when you consider most cheapy little wedding favors most people do cost about that much and just end up in the trash or a junk drawer anyway. I mean, who really wants a wine bottle stopper with "Josh and Christy October 1, 2010" etched on it? Uhm, no one!

I have been at work every day this week, and as happy as I am to be working...sometimes I forget how long seven hours can feel in 4 inch heels. Oh well, I am getting lots of practice for the wedding! I also forgot, since I have not been out in public in so long, how many compliments I get on my ring! I mean...I know its gorgeous but it is so nice to hear other people say it!

I got my completed wedding guest book from Snapfish.com yesterday. It is SO gorgeous and I love it and it only cost me $10! Once I figure out where my camera is after the move I will take some pictures of it and post them. I am absolutely in love with it. Josh and I were introduced to a song by my mom that we are going to ask one of our great friends to perform at the ceremony. I wanted to incorporate the beautiful song in more ways than one, so throughout our guestbook is the lyrics to that song. I am hoping people will flip through it at the reception and connect the dots that "oh! These are the lyrics to their wedding song!"

Here is the song, for anyone who cares to listen:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo 

The lyrics are remiscent of the famous 1st Corinthians verse, but Josh and I have been through so much together, something just touches my soul everytime I hear it. Enjoy!

Oh, Happy Day!

The last several days have been so unbelieveably amazing. I really think my winter depression is melting away more and more with each sunny day. It happens every year: winter seems to drag on forever, I feel like if I wake up to gloomy gray skies one more time I will go stark raving mad, my legs are albino white from not seeing the sun for 5 months....its just blahhhh.

When I woke up last week on the day of my first dress viewing it was sunny! There were birds chirping! The whole day was a huge blessing and success. I feel so confident and happy with my choices of the girls who will be standing next to me on my big day. Each one of them is such a blessing to me and brings such a new light and persepective to this whole planning process. It was so nice to be able to have some girl time...and they all loved my very (big!) dress!!!! For those of you who have been paying attention: I lost 5 pounds in two weeks, working my butt off. The dress slid right on like it was made for me (which it was hehe) and it looked SO good. Probably the best news I got all day was because of how well the dress fit, if I bought high enough shoes, I would not have to pay $250 for a hem!!! Granted, that means trucking through my wedding day in 4" heels, but from a girl who used to walk 10,000 steps a day in shoes that high as the manager extraordinare at  children's birthday facility....I think I'll survive. I do have to look for a petticoat to hold my skirt up nice and pretty...but the one my bridal shop offers is $60 and that's just not gonna fly! Craigslist!

Because my amazing best friends are so awesome, we also went on the search for the bridesmaid dresses! Ironically enough, after searching through racks and racks, the girls decided they loved the dress that was originally the one I wanted them to wear! Its a super cute dress that I think they will all be able to keep in their closets and wear again to dinner functions and such. Its a Mori Lee. Tea length. taffeta. bubble hem. strapless. SUPER flattering to all of them! They are wearing it in "Espresso" and my girls and I decided to try to find them some super cute 1940s-esque platform pumps in that ever elusive shade of pomegranate that I love so much.

We had a wonderful Easter...we went to spend it with Josh's family and it was so nice. I love how close knit that family is and how many of them there are. I always wished a had a big family with lots of cousins growing up and it makes me smile that my kids will have so many people to love and support them. :)

Charlie decided to lick a Coke can that was left sitting on the ground and sliced his tongue open. After bleeding all over me for five minutes, he took a drink of water and was fine...its always drama with this puppy! I cannot even imagine how it is with children!

However, as great as all of this was....I began a new job today!!!!!!!! It is just part time, counter assistant type work...but it feels SO amazing to be a functioning member of society again. I am happy to say, my feet are a little sore today after a seven hour shift! I missed work. I am a working girl....I LOVE to work. Most people might call me crazy for hating sitting at home doing nothing but basically being a "housewife" the last couple months, but that is just SO not me. Most people also think I'm crazy because I love working in customer service/retail. Its just my niche. Its what I'm good at...I'm a people person, and I have missed people!!!

I guess this is where 2010 starts goin my way *knock on wood* and I must say, my way feels pretty.dang.good.

A True DIY Bride

I apologize about the lack of (interesting) posts lately. The past 2 weeks or so have felt like an absolute blur. I keep thinking of new "must haves" for the wedding and worse than that, how I can do them myself. I *may* be in over my head a little with all my scheming and dreaming. The second bedroom at my mom's house has completely transformed into a DIY Disneyland.

I absolutely love doing things myself, I think I will enjoy my wedding so much more being able to see all my loved ones noticing and enjoying all the little details throughout the day. There are two things that get me through this process: Pandora Internet Radio (which lately has been on a Jason Derulo station...so not my usual type of music, but it's upbeat and he has an amazing voice) and my Charlie (who is now 4 months old and growing like a weed...my baby doggie is no more). He loyally sleeps under the DIY table on his blanky while I partake in the mind numbing task of making pocketfolds. I will eventually post photos and instructions to my invites, once I feel like I am making real progress and design the inserts and belly-band etc.

Today it is 6 months until the big day, and I really have to kick it into high gear. THIS month I need to find and book: a wedding cake baker, a DJ, a florist and an officiant. Most of those should be easy. But Josh and I are not church-goers. We believe in...and love God...but have yet to find a place we can call our own. That's the part that makes me nervous, finding someone to marry us. EEK!

Just for grins (or to give myself a lot more gray hair than I already have) here are allllllllllllllllllllll the DIY projects I have done or plan to complete:

*Save the Date Magnets
* Pocketfold invitations
* Invitation Inserts (which includes stamping and embossing)
* Ribbon Belly Bands
* Envelope liners for the invitations...something like this:

 (I may do the piece of scrapbook paper that was my inspiration for my wedding colors, or take it to the next level and use one of our engagement photos)

* Monogrammed Aisle Runner
* Guest Book  (completed today on Snapfish.com for $10!!!)
* Tissue Paper Pomanders to hang at the reception...like this, but in our colors (tiffany blue and pomegranate)

 (I want little pops of color around, and these are super cheap and easy!)

* Framed photos of loved ones for our memorial table
* Slideshow of Josh and I growing up
* Presents for my girls (keeping those on the DL for now)
* Custom ETCHING of the groomsman gifts (yes I really am crazy)
* Embossing Cocktail Napkins
* Designing and purchasing all the stuff for the candy buffet!

(Hopefully to look something like this:)

 

 SO.AMAZING.

* Programs
* Centerpieces
* Flower girl tutu :)

 

 (I am currently obsessed with this adorable idea)

* Making tulle/twinkle lights into some sort of arrangement for over the dance floor
* Escort/Place cards
* Monogrammed Favor Bags
* Table Numbers
* Thank You Parasol for a photo op
* Cake Table decorations
* Getting super amazing abs (YES this is a DIY project, lol...so far I've lost 4 pounds and SEVEN inches from various body parts within 2 weeks....I <3 it!)

Ummmm...that's really all I can think of right now, but heaven help me I have a feeling there's more. Phew. Deep breath...6 months. I've got time! I will post updates as soon as I get some stuff done. I better go to bed now so that I can actually sleep in anticipation of seeing THE dress tomorrow :)