All Hallow's Eve

Happy Halloween! (And a Happy 66th Birthday to my Gram!)

On to wedding stuff:
I ordered the wire for my hanger today from etsy seller LawStudentCrafts! It's going to say "Mrs. Denver" and I only paid $9.50 for it (including shipping)! I'll be sure to snap some photos when it comes in and once I attach it to my hanger!
I'm going to start working on another bouquet, probably for one of my junior bridesmaids since I need to order more beads before starting the other big ones.
I'm going to be borrowing a hot glue gun so that I can finish the card box tomorrow evening.

I think that's it for now!

Vase Vixen

I finished the bouquet vases for myself and my bridal party. (I wanted one on each table so the girls have somewhere to put their bouquets during dinner.) They were really simple and cheap since I bought the vases in bulk (I'll have 5 extra for around the house) and the ribbon is the same that I'm using for the bouquets. For instructions see my website and look below for pictures!

Bead Overload

I have finished the pearls and beads for my bouquet! (I am SO happy I started this project really early!) I have 200 total and they make a good size bouquet, but the brooches will really make it full. Here's all the beads (smushed together and not spread out since I need all the brooches first.)

Speaking of brooches; I ordered six more for my bouquet! They are part of an ebay epacket that lets you buy multiple items from one seller and pay shipping for only one! I had a totaly of six brooches that I wanted from one seller, so I definitely took advantage of the cheap shipping. (I have picked out a lot more from her for the other girls' bouquets and I plan on doing the same them when I order them.) Here are the six that I bought tonight:

All Boxed Up

I have done some more work on the card box and it's really starting to look awesome! I cut all the holes for the cards and stapled the boxes together so they'll stay in place. I also added some ribbon around the top and bottom boxes that have solid colored wrapping papers. I still need to add a few more finishing touches, but here is the card box so far.

Some Successes, Some Failures

Today Matt and I went to a couple stores for (mostly) wedding-related items. First stop was Michael's for some more silver wire for the bouquets of which they had none. We were also looking for a retractable utility knife and they only had a huge box cutter. We left empty-handed (a MAJOR feat for me). We went to Staples for the table numbers to find that they weren't even on their cue anywhere (I got home to discover the order had been cancelled) and they didn't have the knife either. So we went to Walmart (never fail) and I found the perfect knife and a ton of wire. So now I am going to start cutting the holes for the card box and wiring the remaining pearls and beads for my bouquet! Pictures of the finished projects to follow!

365x6

Today is Matt and my 6th anniversary! We didn't do much since the Foo Fighters' concert was our gift to ourselves, but we're having a nice night together. Sometimes I can't believe that it's been six years!

I love you Matt!

Carded

I went to Target today after work to grab the wrapping paper for the card box. First, though, I stopped at Michael's (of course) to get some more wire for my bouquet. I also found some nice silver wrapping paper that I picked up for the card box and the black glitter tape that I wanted to use on the table numbers. Here is our table number with the black glitter tape:

So then I went on over to Target and found the black wrapping paper with silver glitter Mr. and Mrs. all over it as well as some white wrapping paper and a HUGE silver bow for the top!
When I got home I wrapped the boxes, tops and bottoms separately, and now I have to wait until I get a retractable knife (that I meant to buy tonight) so I can cut the slit for the cards and the wholes in the tops so I can stack them all together.

I'm going to continue working on my bouquet now and perhaps put the vase labels on the vases, or at least on mine!

Send Me Another!

I got more goodies from Vistaprint in today! In this (heavy) little box were:
-the rest of our invitations
-the rest of our reception cards
-the rest of our escort cards
-a majority of our accomodation cards
-more envelope seals
-our wedding party thank yous
-our vase labels
-our guestbook pens
AND
-my day-of wedding tote bag! (As well as a shit ton of envelopes that I'll never use.)
I love, love, LOVE my bag! (I ordered my girls' this past week, too!) I have to order the paper for the invitation folders and I can get started on putting them together! (I know it's early, but the sooner I get things completed, the less I worry when it gets closer.)

Just a Quickie

I got the card boxes in the mail today (along with my Halloween costume: a flapper)! They're a much better size than the last set! I'm going to go to Target tomorrow after I get out of work to grab some wrapping paper so I can start making it! Now i just have to figure out how I'm going to attach them all...

See Spot

Matt and I were wasting time today at Target and I stopped to look at the wrapping paper for our card box. I found some really pretty wedding paper that I'm definitely going to use. They had one that was black with white glitter Mr. and Mrs. all over it as well as a silver one with swirls and hearts. I'd like to use them both, the black and glitter one on the bottom, plain black on the middle, and the silver on top. I may have to buy them and see which way looks best, though. The boxes should be here tomorrow and I'll probably buy the paper later in the week, so it shouldn't be too long until it's completed!

Brooch Baby

I keep adding ideas on top of ideas! (Let's hope they look okay!) Here's the latest: I saw a picture of a white and crystal brooch bouquet on another Knottie's site and thought it was beautiful! I still love my pearl and crystal bouquet, but I figured that I could fill it out with some brooches! This is the breakdown that I'm thinking of:
-bride: 200 pearls and beads, 10 brooches
-maid of honor: 150 pearls and beads, 8 brooches
-bridesmaids: 100 pearls and beads, 6 brooches
-junior bridesmaids: 75 pearls and beads, 4 brooches
Here are the six brooches that I have bought so far (aka within the last hour) off of ebay:

me

me

Jess

Shannon

Hannah

Hannah

Being Da Vinci

I went to Michael's (again) today and bought supplies for the Mr. and Mrs. signs for the reception. I also got small wooden plaques that I'm going to use for the girls' hangers. (I decided that it would be too much to by the wire for them all, so I'm only getting it for myself and I using the nameplates for the girls.) Here are the Mr. and Mrs. signs so far (I need to outline the letters since they blend in from far away, drill holes, and string the ribbon):

And here are the nameplates (they're finished except for drilling holes and feeding through the ribbon as well):

I also contacted the seller on Etsy about ordering the wire for my hanger. When I go home next weekend, I'll have my dad help me drill the holes in everything and then I'll put on the ribbons and they'll be done! One more thing to add to my completed list!

Addicted

I may need to start going to DIY or Vistaprint rehab: totally addicted! I've made a ridiculous amount of stuff on Vistaprint; tote bags for all my girls, stationery gifts for my VIP ladies and moms, and so much more. I'm also excited because TWO of my orders shipped yesterday! They contained the rest of our invitations and reception cards, accomodation cards, my tote bag, escort cards, labels for the vases for the bouquets, and envelope seals.
And I'm also on a DIY spree since I seem to come up with new ideas every day! Yesterday Matt and I decided that we like the idea of Mr. and Mrs. signs, so I'm gonig to start making them today! I need to grab the signs and some glitter from Michael's but I have the rest of the supplies here. I'm excited to see how they come out!
Our card boxes were shipped yesterday as well, so I may have to get some wrapping paper so I can work on those when they come in!
And, last but not least, I am also in love with Etsy! I've decided to get some personalized wine glasses and beer mugs for our wedding party! The beer mugs are for second part of their gift, so we're getting my brother a sports water bottle that is customized as well, plus a ceramic piggy bank for Cole that's personalized. But they have so many things that I love! One of my favorites, that I've wanted for a while, is an established sign with our name on it. The one I found has "Live, Laugh, Love" on it, too! I'll probably buy it after the wedding as a gift to ourselves as a newly married couple.

Be Our Guest

We have decided on a new idea for our menus! Originally, we wanted one for each place setting, but that would have been a little expensive and it's cleaner just to have one per table. So we were going to put it on a tented piece of cardstock, but since it's so tall it would have to be a weird sized menu. So instead we're going to make a menu booklet for each table!

We're going to buy black metallic cardstock that we'll fold in half to make a booklet. The menu will be glued to one side and a reminder to sign the guest book on the other. We're ordering stickers from Vistaprint for the front and back as well as some silver elastic cord to go around the fold. I can't wait to start making them, but we have to choose our menu first in February.

We've also decided on what to do for our invitations pocketfolds! Instead of pocketfolds, we're going to buy silver cardstock and fold it in half. We'll use black photo corners to hold the invitations, RSVP, accomodation, and reception cards. I ordered the invitations already, so I'll be able to start working on these once I order the cardstock and other supplies.

Fumigated

I finished spray painting the frames for the table numbers! YAY! The apartment can finally air out completely! They look really good and all I need now are the numbers reprinted. (I had them printed but didn't think about margin space so parts of the quotes are getting cut off.) I'm buying glitter scrapbooking tape from Michael's for the favors and I think I may use it on the base of the frames as well since I can't get a ribbon to look good. I'll be sure to post pictures once I'm finished!

Hang In There

I went to Michael's today and bought some more letter stickers as well as glitter paint and ribbon for my hanger. I came home and finished the hangers, with the exception of the wire names that I'll be ordering. (I'd like to make them myself, but I really don't think they'd come out very good. I'd rather have someone do them that knows what they're doing.)
Here are pictures of the hangers with what each wire will say:

"Mrs. Denver"

the back of mine

"Juliana"

"Jessica"

"Cristina"

"Shannon"

"Nicole"

"Hannah"

"Olivia"

my mom

Matt's mom

I also painted the inside of the guestbook card boxes black which made them look really great. And I'm currently spray painting more frames for the table numbers which means the apartment smells awful.

Eight Days a Week

8 months until our wedding!!

Coming Along Smoothly

An update on last night's post:
I went to Walmart this morning and bought some 3M sandpaper to get rid of the finished layer on the hangers. I started right when I got home and it took me less than 5 minutes to sand each hanger. After I sanded them, I put one coat on each hanger and let them dry (I did it in a pattern: sanding one hanger and then painting it then moving to the next). Once each had dried I added another coat which is when I realized that the silver paint I was using for mine looked awful. I changed mine to black and I plan on adding a clear glitter coat over it tomorrow. Once they dried I added the silver glitter stickers on each (I used them for our moms' too but I didn't sand and paint them, just left the hangers the way they came). I then painted over the stickers and paint with the top coat. (I have to finish this tomorrow because I ran out of the sticker letters that I need.) After that all dried, I added on some rhinestones (not on our moms') and tied a bow using the ribbon from the bouquets/boutonnieres. I used some 24 gauge silver wire to attach the bows to the tops of the hangers. Once I order the wire names I'll add them on, too, except for the moms'.
For directions with pictures on how to make these hangers (so far) click here.

Home Depot: We Have a Problem

I went to Walmart on my lunch break today and found five packs of wood hangers for under $5. I was really excited except that they are finished. So after work I went to Michael's to get paint for them (as well as more ribbon, silver wire, stickers, and embellishments) and forgot to get sand paper. (I'm not sure they carry it, but I forgot to go to Home Depot or Walmart.) I was super excited to start the hangers and then realized that I wouldn't be able to paint them without sanding them first. Thank God tomorrow is Saturday and I can run to Home Depot as soon as I get up!
I also messaged the etsy seller that had the wire names and she said she drops the price piece to $5 for bridal parties. It's still $3 shipping per item, so $8 total, but I think I might get them for all the girls (but not our moms). It would be $64 total which I wouldn't really mind spending. With that in mind, I found silver glitter stickers that I will use to spell out their roles. I bought white glitter ones for my hanger as well as pearl and rhinestone embellishments.
Here are the acrylic paints that I bought for the hangers, though:

 Holiday Red

Light Orange (from painting wine glasses a year ago)

 Yellow

 Hunter Green

Bright Blue

Plum

Pink Blast (also from wine glasses)

Hang On

I've been looking on Etsy for personalized hangers for my bridal party and myself. There are many options, but they are individually $8 and up which would mean at least $64. I love the ones with the bent wire, but I also saw one that was simply a painted wooden hanger with a name and design on it. I like this idea and it's something I could do myself! I found a 10 pack of wooden hangers online that will cost less than $20 with shipping. I can buy paint at Michael's and either get stencils or attempt to paint their names freehand. (Probably going with the stencils because who knows what it will look like otherwise.) I think I may buy one of the wire parts of the hanger with "Mrs.Denver" for my hanger to make it stand out since they're only $6.50. Plus, doing the painting myself, I can write on both sides of the hanger, perhaps the girls' names and their role as well as adding the date of the wedding. Maybe some fake flowers, rhinestones, and other embellishments, too. And with the 10 pack, I'll be able to do one for mine & Matt's moms! I'm so excited about these!

On another, completely unrelated note I made a "picture" of the wedding party and Matt and I.

I used familystickers.com to make the characters and tried to find bodies that corresponded with each person!

Bling-a-Ling

So I learned the other day that the ringbearer doesn't carry the real rings, so I found two sterling silver rings on Amazon that I ordered today to go in the ring box for Cole. Along with those, I bought a set of 12 Libbey vases that will be used for the bouquets. I'm going to use the first to make the bouquets (and make sure they fit in it) and then for the reception. They'll be at the bridesmaids' tables so that they have somewhere to put their bouquets after the ceremony. They were $20 for the set and I'll have 5 leftover that I can use around the house.

 Matt's fake ring

 My fake ring

Libbey bouquet vases

I also finished the boxes for the guestbook cards today. They're simple, but they look nice and will match the other decor. Of course, I used the rest of the black ribbon with silver swirls so I'll have to grab some more at Michael's. Here's the finished product: