Monday, January 5, 2009

DIY Projects: PHOTO HEAVY

REPRINT from my other blog - ORIGINAL POST DATE 10/20/2008


Okay, blogger family! I need your opinion.

Dues to a few reasons that I will list below, I have chosen to take on some projects as DIY for my wedding. However, my wedding planner who I absolutely adore, respect, and admire doesn't think that it is a good idea to take on all these projects. She keeps telling me that I am going to have enough to do with my time and that I will not want to be worried about such things. Also, she says that if my reasoning is financially related, the projects I have chosen are not the ones that will make the biggest dent in my budget. They are the ones least worthy of my precious time, that it would really make that much of a difference. I'm a little torn and scared. She also tells me that in a few months, I am going to just want to call someone and say is it ready instead of going home after a long days work to look at a craft project.

Please offer any insight that you may have on these projects, my reasoning, and what my planner is telling me about my decision.

Reasons to have my DIY projects:
  1. Because I am a crafty person
  2. I have 18 months, long enough to make mistakes and recreate if necessary
  3. It will be my vision, not someone else's
  4. It will be sentimental
  5. It will calm my nerves
  6. It helps me feel like I am making progress I can see
  7. allows me to use my creativity
  8. Stress reliever
  9. Save money

My DIY projects:
  • Monogrammed Aisle Runner
  • Programs
  • Ring bearer pillow (I love to sew)

This will be one of my latter projects so just in case I don't get to it in time, I can just run out to Wal-Mart and grab a traditional one.

I love this fabric from http://www.hancockfabrics.com/ but I am still very open to this.

and these next few I found on http://www.amazon.com/

and I also found these on http://www.fabrichouse.com/.



And lastly, these two very nice ones from http://www.fabrics.com/.




  • Design and Printing of "Guest Blessings" cards (We are not having a guest book but instead the cards and a large decorated glass vase)
This is the idea for the Guest Blessings table items. This picture is from http://www.myjeanm.com/. I have a vase from my grandmother and it will also serve as a memorial item. I still am not set on a design for the cards but I'm thinking maybe a monogram.


  • favors (Just painting a gold "H" on blue votive holders, wrap in tulle circles with a bow, pre-tied, you just stick it on)
These are the votive holders I am going to order form http://www.candles4less.com/. I am getting a few boxes of the blue ones and a few boxes of the yellow ones. They are only $4.46 for a box of 12 and I am going to paint the H using a stencil from Micheal's.






  • My bouquet and Bridesmaid stems (they are not having bouquets but calla lily stems with draping ribbon.

  • Hotel welcome baskets

I am pretty set on ordering these from The Lucky Clover Trading Company because they have really great prices and quality. I really like the shape of this basket (.55/each) because it is round.......




but since the baskets don't come in color, I am going to have to do something simple like tie a blue and yellow ribbon around it to make it nice. Which means I may need a basket with a handle. Something like this (1.25/each, also from The Lucky Clover Trading Company).






  • Design and print Table Cards (They are going to be very plain but we are using objects instead of numbers to assign tables so I can't just go buy them somewhere)

  • My veil
I want a cathedral length, 3 tier, veil such as this one shown on http://www.atelierolenasveils.com/



I'm also doing my own make up the day of the wedding (I was a make-up artist for 5 years)

I think that's it. So, I'll be waiting for your responses!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Engagement Pictures!

REPRINT from my other blog - ORIGINAL POST DATE 10/16/2008

My fiance' and I are taking our engagement pictures on the 24th of this month. I am really excited and looking forward to it. We have never taken professional pictures together (although we have been dating for almost 3 years) so this will be an exciting first-of-many for our relationship. We will make a day out of our experience. We have to drive about an hour outside of Atlanta to this nature preserve and waterfall to take the pictures with the photographer. photo credit
The town of Dahlonega is known for its wineries and small town, mom and pop, village style shopping and bed and breakfasts. So, we are only working half a day (the morning) then we'll be headed that way.

We're going to spend the remainder of the day in this beautiful place. I'm so excited. I can't wait to display one of the pictures as my profile pic so look forward to it. It would be a great place to have a wedding.

photo credit

I have heard amazing things about the photographers, Eric and his wife Adrianne and I think we are going to have great pictures. They are very professional and personable and I would recommend them to anyone. The picture below is the beautiful work of Eric and Adrianne Delaforce.

photo credit


Here is what the waterfal looks like where we are taking our pictures.
The photographer's web site is http://www.ericseye.com/. I encourage you all to check him out.
Happy wedding planning!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

My new friends are inspiring me to venture from the plan!

So, the plan was to only post some of my blogs from the other site in consecutive order so you can get to know me before I start writing original blogs on here.

We'll I'm inspired by the broke ass bride to write one today instead of cutting and pasting for the next 2 weeks.

She is in a contest and I wo9uld like to spread the word so you all can vote for her. You can only vote once a day until January 29 but three different ways (So I guess that's more like 3 votes a day :-))

To make a friend, be a friend...........................Here is the low-down from her blog:
We've got a great lead on the competition, but its sure to tighten up quickly, so please remember you can vote once per day on their website, but note that the questions change up every day or so...

Usually, they ask for:
Our names: Hunter Stiebel and Dana LaRue
Our wedding date: May 24, 2009
The location of one of their planting grounds - all of which can be found here
Their toll-free number: 1-866-972-8733
Any other answers are usually quite easy to locate.
You can also vote once per day on Twitter!
Just post the following link, along with our names: http://www.treesinstead.com/Green_Gift_Valentines.php Dana LaRue/Hunter Stiebel @TreesInstead
Or, once a day on Facebook!
Follow the link below, clicking "join group" and leaving a message on their wall stating that you vote for us! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22482072281
Voting is open until Jan. 29th, so vote early and often... your 3 potential votes each day can really be the thing that makes or breaks the competition! If we win, we get an amazing array of earth-friendly rewards such as trees planted for all our guests, and carbon offsets for all our travel, but the grand prize is a honeymoon to Costa Rica! Lawd knows we could use it!

Let's spread the love!!! Best Wishes Broke Ass Bride!!

My Beginning!!!

REPRINT from my other blog - ORIGINAL POST DATE 10/15/2008





This is my first time ever blogging and I think I'm going to love it. I am a creative spirit and write as often as I can. There is something very special about the ability to express ones self in words. I hope this experience will open the door to many months of fun and friendship as I plan my April 2010 ceremony.
I also hope to gain some insight as I have deemed myself a DIY bride, along with relieving any stress that tries to creep my way as I attempt to plan the wedding of my dreams (on a budget, of course).



Wish me luck!!!
.............. and many blessings to each of you!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

HIM!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey ya'll!
It's New Years Day and I'm sitting on the sofa with my FH watching music videos. ( I know I said I wouldn't post anything new today but I absolutely can't contain myself since this is the first time in about four months that there is positively nothing written on my calendar for me to do today! Whoo Hoo!) So, I really hate watching music videos because I am convinced that it slowly kills your brain cells but there is something sweet about being able to watch them with my FH. Actually it's kind of turning out to be a somewhat intellectual experience because we are able to discuss some of the trends and sociological effects of what we see (the sociologist coming out in me) on the videos. Anyway, since I'm half watching and half on the computer I figured this would be a good time to post a little something about my love bug!!



I'm more of a bullet point kinda girl as opposed to the paragraph type so I'll highlight ten random fact about my baby that I love:




  • I love him because he keeps telling me he's going to cut off his braids for the wedding. hahaha, the wedding is 2 weeks before our 30th birthday so he says we gotta grow up. LOL

  • I love him because he's from Detroit and since I'm from Oklahoma, he has a little edge that kinda sexy.

  • I love him because he prays and although he wasn't big on praying in front of my family at our big Christmas Dinner, he took my hand and braves through it. He even got the "pat on the back" from my dad when it was over.

  • I love him because he is a good listener. And unlike me, he is very good at retaining information.

  • I love him because he wakes me up every morning with a text message that says, "Good Morning Beautiful!"

  • I love him because he always gets mad when I let my gas tank get below the half (or especially quarter line).

  • I love him the because he always grabs my stomach and tells me he likes my belly.

  • I love him because he road trips with me even when he doesn't feel like it.

  • I love him because he's loyal and genuine.

  • I love him because he's happy when he's eating my cooking.

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