Holiday P.S.A.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

And please, spare the world and do NOT do the following :

Image courtesy of takadanama.com

Image courtesy of marketplace.secondlife.com

Image courtesy of hairstyletwist.com

And last but not least, do NOT do this :

Image courtesy of squidoo.com

For the love.

But okay, I am a little bit of a sucker for this vintage book cover I stumbled across :

 Image courtesy of ladybluestocking.com

But then again, she's not wearing a slutted-up evening-wear santa suit with antlers on her tiara. Something for everyone, I guess.
Happy Holidays Everyone!

Note: Not sure why my 'scheduled' posts aren't posting... Sorry for the delay in Christmas wishes, but happy holidays just the same!

Lovin' An Oven

As we inch/creep/move-at-a-snail's-pace toward home ownership, one of the stipulations of the bank is that we install a range (or at least show proof-of-purchase) prior to closing. Apparently if there are no appliances in the house (thankssssssssssssssss, previous owners, for that one.), a stove somehow makes it a "livable residence".

............Alright.

So! We went a'lookin' this weekend and found this bad boy at a local business (Judd & Black) :

Love that it's electric but LOOKS like gas, thanks to the knobs on the front instead of on a backsplash-style panel. Just a little non-wedding related life tidbit!

In actual wedding news, fringing the letters has taken a bit of a backseat to some last minute gift whipping up (there's only so much floor space in a small apartment), but I plan to spend some time with that crazy-tedious super fun project once my break from work begins at the end of this week.

Scotch Free

You know it's love when your fiance brings home a suprise for you : Not one, not even three, but EIGHT rolls of Scotch tape.

 Image courtesy of Sears.com

It's been a cuh-ray-zay week, and I haven't had the time 'nor the gumption to make a special trip to stock up, so Nate decided to surprise me with a haul last night. Swoon.

And on that note, have you seen the MIND BLOWING stuff people do with tape?! Seriously, who knew...

 Ducks!

Image courtesy of ironicresult.com

Dragon!

Image courtesy of bayourenaissanceman.com

Kids! (and also : HOLY CRAP! AMAZING!)

Image courtesy of niceshoes.com

On The Fringes

Fringe Fest 2011

That's what the craft projects of the weekend should be titled. 'Maid (of Honor) Emily arrived and flexed her patience craft muscles on the project of attaching fringe to the 3-D letters (remember those guys?). And you know what? I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.

 My view from the 'V' to Em's 'L'

No, not a hula skirt. 'V' in progress (have faith, grasshoppers!)

Craptactularly (yep, you heard me) lit photo of the finished 'V'

'E' is for Em!

My best gal and the dog who worships her (mine. feel the love).

 

I still need to finish the 'E' and tackle the 'O', but we're moving right along. The worst part is snipping all the tissue. Can you say hand cramp?! But hopefully the textural finish and scale will be worth it.

Insider trading tip of the day : Invest in Scotch tape. Because I'm about to go buy a few cases. 

And for the record, I know it's gotten a leeeeetle bit quieter on this blog of late, and that's because it's just frankly less of a crazy wedding whirlwind then it has been. And you know what? I'm grateful. With the holidays around the corner (um, literally : 12 DAYS until Christmas, can you handle it?), out-of-towners making their appearances, and trying to buy this house in the middle of it all, I'm soaking up the respite.... If that's what you can even call what I just listed off. A respite from wedding planning/stresses at least!

So cheers to time with family and friends who love you enough to sit on your apartment floor buried in tissue for hours on end. Thanks Em!!!

P.S. Need an insight to how my brain works? (careful, it's scary in here...)

Here is the original inspiration for what's clearly taken on a life of it's own in my hands.

A 'Maid to Order Weekend

Okay, so I'm not actually going to order her around ... much .... but 'Maid (of Honor) Emily is  making the trek from Portland to have a Wedding Craft Take-Down Weekend (WCTDW) with me starting Friday!

Pippa Middleton ~ World's most famous Maid of Honor

Image courtesy of FashionFame.com

Already planned is a trip to Michael's, some sushi eating, coffee getting, brunch-going, drink-drinking... Um... so basically we'll be eating our way through. Nate's already offered to be our bar tender, which means any and all crafting will have to end before happy hour to prevent wonky tissue or upside down cake stands (just kidding, Mom).

So not a ton getting done on the craft front this week since WCTDW is the perfect excuse to procrastinate during the current weekdays (other than me maniacally finishing my friend-gifts project last night so Em doesn't see and ruin her surprise).

Two sets of hands, a solid 24 hours plus, and someone who knows how to put up with me? Awesome.

Bride and MOH jumping on bed

Image courtesy of BrittanyRumsey.tumblr.com

Task Master

Is it just me or as the holidays approach do the weekends fly by even faster? Even though mine kicked off a few hours early with our Lord Hill Farms tasting on Friday, those two-point-five days just seemed to evaporate. Maybe I'll feel better after an Accomplished This Weekend In Pictures sesh.....

Tasted (and chose!!) The Day's din din :

 

Gorgonzola Pasta at Lord Hill

Asiago-Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce at Lord Hill

  

We also managed to eat SO MUCH FOOD that we literally didn't eat for the rest of the day. The bride and groom that had the tasting appointment with us were having appetizers, so while we managed to avoid that up-sell, we still got to partake in the deliciousness. Because, you know, we needed more food.

We also hit up Home Depot :

A little laminate research - This one's my pick

Mini Christmas Tree!

The mini Christmas tree was the best compromise this year as A) I advocate for a real tree EVERY YEAR and Safety Nate always denies, and B) with moving looming on the horizon (no new house news - STILL waiting on the bank that owns it to drop the hammer), this seemed an easier route than hauling out the big one we use every year and then having to pack it up again so soon.

Last but not least, my logical self decided I needed another project, so I gathered up all the ingredients to make some gifts to send my pals (don't judge me, I know I'm nuts) :

I can't spill the beans and tell what I'm making, but my hot craft tip-o-the-day is Buffalo Snow. It's the stuff you're supposed to put on the mantel or around the tree to look like fluffy snowfall, but it's basically a gigantic bag of Poly Fill but softer and for like half the price. I got mine at Michael's... I'd say "in the Christmas section", but apparently the entire store has been taking over by craft-centric elves because I actually had a hard time finding NORMAL craft supplies.

At a CRAFT STORE.

But I digress. It's good stuff, and I think could double as batting since it comes in a sort of weird sheet. Information  you never knew you wanted, eh? You're welcome.

Weekend success!

Tasty Treat

We are headed to Lord Hill Farms today for our tasting session to determine which dishes we'll have served for din din on The Day.

Lord Hill Farms ~ Photo courtesy of BeccaHowell.com

Obnoxiously, that means cutting into our work days as the tastings are only offered on Friday afternoons (really!?), but I'm sure it will be fun once there.

We'll be trying things like this :

Roast Salmon ~ Image courtesy of TastyKitchen.com

This :

 Stuffed Chicken ~ Image courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.com

And this : 

Pastas ~ Image courtesy of LifesAmbrosia.com

... And choosing two of the three. 

After looking at those pictures I'm decidedly more excited about lunch. Cheers!

Tissue and Tulle and Lace, Oh My!

Knee deep in making the tissue/tulle/lace flowers for the centerpieces these days. And at the risk of ruining the 'magic', I snapped a pic of a few in progress last night for those interested :

Those 'stems' you see are bits of sturdy floral wire with a large plastic bead attached at one end. Then all that's left to do is a little stringing action (okay, mixed with some strategic folding and crimping to up the pretty factor).
Here's an Instagram shot of the flowers created from the supplies you just saw above :

I heart easy.

Felt Flower Fiesta: Bridal Update

My what a super un-clever title. But an update it is.

Remember this pic?

Well now that same box looks like this :

Yep, those roses are covered with dahlias, and my flower making days are numbered. Woohoo! Thank goodness for a long weekend with a few minutes of downtime to spend with a glue gun and a sewing machine.


Geez, seeing that in print makes me realize how work-like that sounds, but I've actually enjoyed most of my time spent with those felt-y little nuggets. Excited to stick them in some styrofoam and be done with it, all the same.

Name Changer

On the never-ending jewelry hunt (Yes, I got the earrings from ModCloth and no, they won't work . Womp womp.), I found this initial necklace from BaubleBar... And it just happens to be my exact new initials in their example :

Since a $115 necklace isn't exactly in the budget for a self-gift right now, I had to post it so I can look at it whenever I like.
Super random, I'm aware. It's Monday after four days off... It's a wonder I even remember how to type.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all y'all a very happy turkey day! I am STOKED to report that my parents are coming up to share in the festivites at Nate's parent's home, where they will be as well as some aunts and cousins. Can't wait to have everyone together, not to mention having my 'rentals meet some of Nate's extended fam.

Oh, and I found these hilarious pictures that just demand to be shared, so a Happy Thanksgiving post just had to happen (who knew you could Google "thanksgiving bride" and get something...) :

Image courtesy of MotheroftheBridezilla.blogspot.com

And not to be outdone :

Image courtesy of nobodys-opinion.blogspot.com

 

Who's hungry.

Felt Flower Fiesta: They're Baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I know. I KNOW.

More .
Felt .
Flowers .

But hey, a bride needs a bouquet, right? I decided to go with a more traditional form for my own lil' blossoms (meaning : not a pomander), so I have to figure out how to make some sort of supporting 'stem' system.  I'll have to work something out with more felt or integrating my lace to cover the crafty looking base of them all too, but I think I am wrapping my mind around all of that successfully so far.... I hope.

But! Whipped up all the roses this weekend, and the dahlias won't be long behind with the holiday weekend coming up.

Sparkley white on top, with white and cream (not so creamsicle in person)

Layers o' Felt Roses

On A Silver Platter

I said I'd post pics of my Value Village cake-stand-makings haul what seems like ages ago, so apparently I'm going to make up for slacking with a barrage of pictures. Ready? Go :

Goblets in a range of sizes/finishes, plus gold and silver chargers.

 

 

Chargers on their pedestals.

Three heights of goblets = Staggered heights for stands

 

Apparently Value Village uses the extremely personal Personal Ads to wrap glassware... Yikes!

So I think my plan for the time being is to let the gold and silver just be, but perhaps paint all the glasses bases the same turquoise shade for continuity. I may also do a paint-meets-lace treatment on parts of the chargers, but we'll see. ... Per usual. So far so good!

Bejeweled

I have been on a mad hunt for earrings to wear on The Big Day.

Of course there's criteria : I'm not really planning on much other jewelry... perhaps a bracelet if I can find the right one, but no necklace and a less-than-giant hair piece. They have to be big/long, they have to throw a bit of an art deco vibe, and ideally they would be mixed metal.

So, with that said, I found some earrings at ModCloth.com for the price-is-right sum of $14.99, so decided to give 'em a go. All the rest I've liked have been in the $100 range (ow.), so I figure even if these aren't the ultimate winners, I really like them and would have bought normal earrings for that price anyway.

What do you think?

So Not Wedding Related

But I don't care.

Because take a gander at the text in the upper right hand corner of this pic :

PENDING! That's us!! Money is down and inspection is tomorrow.... Crazy.

Shoot... Does this mean I'm a grown up?

Taking A Breather

This weekend had a few productive moments, but mostly it was filled with some drinking of this :

Walking in this :

And a little snuggling with this :

On the productivity front (you know I love my lists) :
* Hit Value Village and scored a dozen chargers for 99 cents a pop plus all the goblets I need to make cake stands for our doughnuts, which 'Maid Emily will be lending a hand with in December.
* Submitted ANOTHER counter offer to the bank on the house.
* Made more tissue/tulle/lace flowers and I think perfected the assembly process/stem length conundrum.

I'll post some pictures of the goblet-n-charger haul once they make it out of the car. Haven't yet fully decided whether they'll be painted all to match or I'll go with the gold-silver-clear that they are now... We'll see. I think it will depend on whether I can find a food-grade sealant to cover the spray paint or not. Not looking for my wedding favor to be lead poisoning. 

At about $34 for the whole shebang we're coming out massively ahead on the financial front - To RENT (as in borrow for a day) a single tiered cake stand from my doughnut vendor runs almost $150. Horrified? I was. Especially since we'd probably need more than just one. So here I'm getting twelve keep-able/gift-able stands for $30 and a little elbow grease.

And an additional little sanity saver : Found a 100% silk Banana Republic boho-style dress amongst my thrifting for $9.99. A little web research tells me it retailed for $98 in it's day. Neither here 'nor there, but it makes me happy.

Image courtesy of NevverNude.com

The Wicked Witch of the East

Remember her? This was her fate :

Image courtesy of kdudeartz.blogspot.com

And that is exactly why there may be a day or two before I post another craft entry.

 

Confused? Well, pretend those ruby-shod feet are mine, and that pile of siding is the house we just put an offer in on yesterday.

 

Oh... Because we did. We found a house - THE house! 

 

Well, if the bank that owns it says so. Regardless, SUPER FREAKING EXCITING. And scary. And Kansas-tornado-like. Cue the "da dum da dum da da da DAAAA!" wicked witch music.

Our potential humble abode looks like this :

And oh.em.gee.... I love it. So cross any and all available appendages - Those of you with a sixth toe or something, now's your time to shine.

Oh and P.S. if you're in my neck of the woods and need a Realtor, have I got the gal for YOU.

Trying Tissue

Thought I'd throw up some pics of my first attempt at grouping my tissue/lace/tulle flowers in their destined home - The puff-painted/spray painted bottles (remember those guys?). I decidedly need to work out a few kinks - 'stem' length, speed of creation, etc., but for the most part I like them.

...Although it took leaving them assembled and sleeping on it for me to do so. Something about how long I'd been messing with them Saturday night made me hate them, but by Sunday morning they were back basking in the glow of my acceptance.

So (and as always, excuse the cell-phone-in-dim-apartment pic quality) :

 

And lastly, I pulled in one of my taller bottles too for a photo op. I've decided there will be three per table - Aesthetically, threes and fives look better in groupings as opposed to even numbers of twos/fours/sixes. There. Now you've learned something and reading this blog has all not been for naught. You're welcome.

I'm quite happy with how the three materials work together - That wispy little addition of tulle makes me happy in my craft-nerd way. 

***Perfectionist Side Note : The bottles pictured haven't had their final coats of paint, so they'll look better in the end... I hope. Oh the joys of figuring it out as you go along.