flowers - buy or make?

It was decided that I need to have flowers for my wedding party because "what will they do with their hands?" and to make the pictures look better.
Our wedding package includes 1 bride's bouquet and 1 boutonnière for the groom so I figured I was home free.

Today I'm going to call the florist for a quote on adding (main flower - calla lillies):
2 bridesmaid bouquets
1 ring bearer's boutonnière
5 boutonnières (2 groomsmen + 2 dads + grandpa)
3 women's corsages (2 moms + grandma)

I'm bracing myself for the worst... considering the point of my elopment was to keep costs down, some people seem to be forgetting that was the original plan and since they're not paying for it, they don't see that these little things add up quickly. My budget $150. I have no idea if that's even close or appropriate, but if the florist quote is for more, I'm going to order flowers in advance from Winn-Dixie and make them myself. We're not getting married until 5pm so we could work on the arrangements all morning and add extras, like shells and sand dollars.

Is that crazy? Making the flowers the day of the wedding to save a buck?

engagement photos - take deux

we're trying again tonight, but there's a chance of rain and the winds are 30 mph...
here's to imbracing that "wind blown look" and getting this shit crossed off the list =)

the list - update

I'm slowly approaching the 3 month mark, so here's an update on what's left and what's a work in progress (WIP):

General
Newspaper Announcements – JS & NS (waiting on e-photos)

Planning / Purchases
Matron/MoH gifts (WIP)
Men’s suits
Wedding bands
Groom gift
Pack guitar for ceremony

Deadlines & Dates:
Send IL STDs - 6/30
Engagement/Housewarming – 8/1
Wedding shower – 8/15
Send wedding invitations - 8/20
Bachelor/Bachelorette parties – 9/19

Design/DIY
Veil (WIP)
Sand ceremony supplies (WIP)
Sew ring bearer tie & pocket square
Cupcake stand
Programs
Invitation – SSI (WIP)
Invitation – IL (WIP)
Events – SSI (WIP)
Accommodations – IL (WIP)
Response Cards – SSI / IL (WIP)
Response Cards – IL (WIP)
Announcements
Escort cards - IL
Guestbook
Seating card/Gift to SSI guests(WIP)
Guest Book Table decorations
Gift Table Envelope box - IL

Contracts/RSVP
Rehearsal Dinner reservations
Salon for Mani & Pedi - GA
Wedding cupcakes – IL
Contract Photographer – SSI (WIP)
Engagement Photos – IL (WIP)
Contract Videographer - Craigslist?

Clothing/Hair/Make-up
Jewelry for wedding
Earrings?
Hair Trial
Make-up Trial

Transportation/Accommodations
Oct Rental car
Honeymoon hotel room

Ceremony/Reception - SSI
Bouquet - color pref. to Scarlett
Order flowers for ceremony
SH – songs for ceremony
Plan ceremony
Basket for Programs
Favors/welcome bags?
Cocktails & Apps outside
Reception centerpieces
Reception Menu – SSI
Passed hors’dourves

Country Club - IL
Reception Menu
Timeline
Linens(WIP)
Reception centerpieces
DJ do-not-playlist
Photo slideshow
Projector & screen
Seating chart

etsy love

I just made my first purchase from Etsy! Gifts for my matron and maid of honor.
Today over at Something Old, Something new she featured these:
Porcelain Fortune Cookies with Text - Wedding Set
Aren't they delish? So simple and gorgeous. We are such Chinese food junkies that I'm sure we have our own petrified fortune cookies in the pantry ;)

Pandora Sphinx Moth

Here are photos of the Pandora Sphinx Moth I photographed outside the office window this morning.

Isn't he funky looking?

 

update - shoes found!

As you can see it's pretty toasty out today, but completely worth spending my lunch hour in my car calling different Macy's stores in hopes of finding the Wishna. I called the closest Macy's to our house, I've already looked here but it was worth calling just in case they got more... And guess what! They did! I have 3 different sizes on hold waiting for me to stop by after work! SCORE!
Side note: surprisingly, the heat's not bothering me out here... Can't wait for the hot Georgia coast this fall!

did you know...

I’m on the Martha Stewart Weddings Reader Advisory Panel? Neither did I, but last week I voted on my favorite cover for the Fall issue.

I picked #3 “Confetti Shower” because it was the most legible and had enough visual interest not to be boring (“First Dance”) and not too busy that you couldn’t read the headlines (“Kiss Under the Arch”). I’m not sure how I got onto this focus group list, but it makes me feel as though I’m part of an über-exclusive group – hey, a Martha-ist can dream, right? My inner nerd wants to design a badge and put it off to the side on my blog.

Argh!

Bandolino Wishna, why are you so elusive?!
I'm trying to find this sandal in blue, size 9.5 to no avail. Been to 3 Macy's, DSW, and countless websites trying to find it. I think this is much more practical than the 4" CL's and still pretty cute for a wedding on the beach/grass.

Brother's flight - CHECK!

Booked my brother's flight today.
Whew and ouch, but it's done and I can cross this HUGE to-do off the list!Plus, its his birthday gift, so happy early birthday if you're reading.

so here's what happened

I finally connected with our engagement photographer on Monday and she finally sent me the pricing and the same “1980s what-not-to-wear brochure” for the 4th time. I took a serious look at the pricing yesterday and discovered that in addition to NOT selling the digital images they don’t sell their proofs. Their system is this: photo session, photo slideshow @ their studio, order photos from giant slide show on the spot, don’t come back (unless you want to pay $25), photos are mailed 3wks later.

Can you tell I’m not pleased?
Our “gift certificate session” includes the sitting fee and one 4x6 portrait.
So this means we could take hundreds of fabulous photos, in my dress, in jeans, with the dog, etc, but we only walk away with one photo. This one photo is the one that will be printed in the worst quality possible in the newspaper. It's not that I wasn't expecting to pay to have photos, but I wanted all of them to make into a cool guestbook, regardless of digial or printed proofs.

So at the risk of getting my dress dirty, having the dog look like a giant stain on Andy’s lap, or looking like ants sitting on a bridge, we’re just going to show up all “casual” take the head shots and go home.
I am incredibly disappointed. I guess wasted my time on outfits and locations before reading the fine print. Part of me thinks it's silly that I want to spend so much time and money on pictures that aren’t even from our wedding day, but I want to capture us looking “normal” and include the dog since he won’t be invited to the wedding.

Is this me or the wedding machine talking?
We're thinking of having a friend or parent take our photos in those same spots on the cheap… this sounds like a better plan, but I’m not sure that my mom is up to the photojournalistic expectations I have in mind…

decisions...

things with our engagement photographer have changed... we don't have time for an outfit change so now that we're going to be outside i need to pick only ONE outfit :(

please ignore the lovely lighting and background... and help me decide
on either A, B or C

A:

B (belt)

C

wedding margarita cupcakes

aren't these gorgeous, even classy enough for a wedding?
Check out Rachel's Margarita Cupcakes over at Heart of Light

confession

I forgot to mention that I went back to the Wilton tent sale.
Since it was 15 minutes before closing I didn't have time to do much damage, but I did buy 4 huge cake decorating tips - perfect for piping cupcakes - black and white frosting and two "perfect pan" cookie sheets.
All for under $20.

the veil

I bought 6 yards of tulle at Jo Ann's (which doesn't sound too crazy but then Andy alerted me to the fact that 6yd = 18 feet) and 200 Swavorski crystals. When I found the dress my bridal consultant asked if I wanted to start trying on some veils at the store and what did I have in mind. I told her "the most ridiculously long veil you can find."

Here are some inspirational photos:

and when I'm busy crying, I can throw it over my arm...




but I still love this headpiece - maybe one for the ceremony and one for the reception?

weekend find:

The amazing Lebowski

The amazing Lebowski taught himself how to pull the string on a vibrating basketball toy today. I'm so proud.

four month freak out :: updates

Holy crap, I have so much left to do… and it’s not just the little stuff. Yikes!

To cope, I have made myself a list of things that can be accomplished on my lunch hour:
-Call Trademan Photo to confirm engagement photos – why won’t this woman return my emails?! LEFT MESSAGE
-Book Steven’s flight to/from Georgia (verify there’s enough time between connecting flights) DELTA'S PHONE LINES WERE DOWN?!
- Call in reservations to Lady and Sons DONE-Paula has some strict reservation rules!
-Order STDs for IL – need to confirm digital proof DONE!
-Call bakeries for cupcake quotes

Tonight:
-Get a remaining email addresses for party evite
-Start finalizing address list for STDs
-Figure out what Andy’s wearing for the “formal shot” and try on some shoes because here’s all I’ve got:

and here’s a peek at the casual again:

the florist

I had a great conversation with my florist (who works for my mom) regarding our reception centerpieces. She doesn't have the internets (say what?!) so we have to use my mom as a liaison.

I LOVE this reception's flowers from SMP so I sent the email to my mom and she printed out the photos... and then gave them to the florist.

I will be supplying the vases for the reception so I went to IKEA tonight and picked up these babies up for <$15.

I'm going to send them back to the 'port with my parents and then give my florist a call... find out which vases will work and how many to buy.

Living so close to IKEA is dangerous...

exfoliation - phase one complete

This weekend we sold/donated our garage sale items... I know, I still need to post the photos, but for now I'm entering phase two: "need, use, love."
With the house semi-back to normal there’s plenty of space where the crap use to be and crap still remains. Looking around, I see many things I own that make me unhappy - a knitting for dummies kit, 15 books of scrapbook paper, clothes that I’ve been being to hand-wash, sew or store and several more failed crafting attempts, all of which I hesitated putting in the garage on the off-chance I might find the time to finish/start that project.
As I looked around the house at these things, I saw comically large dollar signs sitting on the shelves.

Why the @#$% didn’t I sell this stuff?!

Because last week I was not using the "need, use, love" mantra! Instead I was thinking:
“If I ever finish cleaning the house or doing laundry I might find the time to scrapbook the past 4 years of my life (years 2002- mid-2005 are already scrapped) or make that indie necklace I saw online…” but then it hit me, I’ll never be done doing these things unless I make the time.
So, I’m going to continue to exfoliate and go over each room with a fine-toothed-mantra-laden-comb and take some time to work on the projects that make me happy (baking cupcakes!). Finally, I'm going to implement "the box" technique that Megan my MoH uses (and apparently so does Jess).

so mysterious!

Anything with the word "email" in the link is blocked at the office so this is what I saw this morning:

So exciting! What a wonderful way to start a Monday...

working on a MAJOR exfoliation - EDIT

Wait until you see photos of the madness... I'll be posting tomorrow.
I already feel about 50 lbs lighter with all of the crap we're (hopefully) selling.
Stay tuned... its all part of the "Make Under My Life" challenge. For now, I'm in need of some change... and some sleep.

PS - I scheduled my Boudoir session!

EDIT
Here's a photo of the WIP Garage Sale... and it's mostly our stuff.

O.M.G.

I want these as wedding shoes sooo badly...

And for only $189... normally $689


And while I'm at it, I'll take these too! Who cares if I'm getting married in the grass or will be towering over my groom? They're Louboutins!!

I just had to...

Martha's new cupcake cook book came out today. Only $15 at Costco... that's $10 off!