She Shoots, She Scores!

41 days

234 invited
135 attending
39 declined

I don't remember if I posted about this when it actually happened, so I'll do it now. My friend, Justin, who is making our cake for us, called me about the groom's cake I had asked him to make. He wanted to know how it should be decorated. I told him to keep it simple: make it a basketball! Matt loves basketball (although he thought the strike was ridiculous so he hasn't really watched any games this season) so I thought that would simply, yet fitting! I can't wait to see how it comes out...and to taste it! It's going to be like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup: Matt's favorite thing!

I found these really cute keychain charms on Etsy to add to our mom's gifts for the weddings:

And I have two boxes packed! A bunch of living room decorations and a ton of books. Both boxes weigh somewhere in the range of 245457 pounds and will take three of me to carry anywhere.

Mark the Occassion

110 days

Currently working on: escort card frames titles

Our mothers' corsages came in today!! They are GORGEOUS! I am so happy that I went with these instead of real flowers: they have meaning, will last forever, and they go so well with the bouquets and boutonnieres! Here is the picture:

I also bought Shannon a new hair accessory for the wedding. The headband that I originally had was for Margaret and so I went to get a flower for Shannon. All the other bridesmaids have flowers and Shannon doesn't like headbands, so it worked out well. Here's the picture:

Matt and I are going to go through the invitations tonight to see which we will hand out to guests. I'm also planning on finishing the escort card frames! And tomorrow is our meeting at the Biltmore! So excited!

Roses are Red

I finished Jules' bouquet! I got the brooches in last night, but Matt and I were really busy with the honeymoon, so I waited to finish it until tonight. I'm so excited to have another one done! Here is a picture:

I also got an email that our mothers' corsages will be shipping out tomorrow! I cannot WAIT to see them! I'll post pictures when I get them in!

Hairy Flower

126 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (112/130 done)
                                   ceremony programs (50/200 done)

Sweet relief! Pre-Cana is done and over with and we never have to go back again! I'm not going to rant about how much a I hated it (a lot) but I will say that it did absolutely nothing for me. I don't want to dwell on the boring and painful, though, so let's move on to other things.

My hair piece came in! It is GORGEOUS! I am so happy that I ordered it from Etsy since the one I got from Claire's looks like crap compared to this one! Here's a picture:

We also sent back the ring we had originally ordered Matt and ordered the new one from Jared that he wanted. Here's a picture of it:

I got another brooch in! It's for Shannon's bouquet so now I only need one more for hers and I'll be able to finish it! Another picture:

Yesterday, we got a bunch of packages in as well, but I didn't have the time or energy to write about them because of Pre-Cana. My dress for my shower from ModCloth came in! I tried it on last night before leaving and it fits! I'll need to get a slip from Gap to go under, but I love it and I'm so glad to have the return nonsense done and over with! Our dads' cufflinks and ushers' tie and cufflink sets also came in! You can see them here on our wedding website!

Mail Delivery Failure Notification

130 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (62/130 done)

I got home, all excited because I'd be able to start working on our programs since they were supposed to come in today, and found a stupid USPS slip that I have to pick it up tomorrow after 10. I have never had a problem with them delivering these packages to us and so I have no idea why this one couldn't be left here. Ugh, now I have to get through another whole day to get the programs and invitation envelopes.

I did, however, go to Staples and pick up the copies of the latest newsletter. While I was there, I picked up a hole bunch for the programs so I can start working on them tomorrow when they come in.

I also got a message back from the Etsy seller doing my corsages and I ordered and paid for them tonight. I'm planning on sending out the fabric scraps tomorrow so she can start working on them!

I don't remember if I posted about this, so I'm going to now. I apologize if it's a repeat. A week or so ago, I got an email saying that someone had purchased an item off of our registry! One of my family members ordered two sets of the silverware that we wanted! I'm so excited!

I also received an email today that our rings were shipped! I can't wait to get them in!

Now I'm going to continue working on the pocketfolds since I've put that off for a while.

99 Problems and My Dress is One

131 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (62/130 done)

I went to my trial alteration appointment after work today! I needed my dress hemmed and I wanted to do it early so I can order our mothers' corsages. Ana was really great and their prices are AMAZING! I'll be paying $130 for the hemming and between $50 and $75 if I need the bust taken in. In total, that's just what I was planning on spending: $200. It was weird, though, leaving my dress there and knowing I won't see it again until the end of April. I'm going then to try it on and make sure the hem is correct as well as seeing if the bust needs taking in. And more money-saving: Ana said that when the tulle is steamed, it will be quite a bit bigger so I don't need a slip!

I got in my after party dress and it didn't fit! I'm really surprised because I ordered the same size from them before and it fit perfectly. I'm going to send it back tomorrow to exchange for the next size up.

Another problem with another dress: ModCloth ran out of the Baklava Beauty dress in the size I need AGAIN, so my exchange couldn't be completed. So I ordered the Soda Fountain dress that I've wanted forever instead! It's about half the price and I only had to pay a little additional money since I was credited $35 for the exchange. (The other $50 was paid on a card so it's going back to my account.) I'm really happy and just praying that this one fits!

And, lastly, I messaged the Etsy seller who's doing the corsages telling her that I have the scraps from my dress. I'm hoping that I can send it to her soon and get the corsages made! Here's the picture from the listing, which I'm sure I've posted before. (Oh well.)

Baby Talk

132 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (62/130 done)

I have had baby fever for a while now (working at a daycare is obviously not helping this) and, after sitting behind two of the cutest little girls I have ever seen at the Friars game, I realized that Matt and I should talk about when we want to have a baby. He knew my position, as I've made it quite clear; as soon as possible after the wedding. However, after some thought on my part, I realized I would want to be living in a bigger, nicer place (which we plan on doing right after the wedding) and have a better paying job. (That second part may be slightly easier now that I'm certified to teach in Massachusetts.) Matt had made it clear that he wanted to wait, but we had never really talked about how long. So I asked him tonight when he would ideally like to start trying. Surprisingly, he said in September. His reasoning was that we would be able to enjoy newlywed life for a few months and give ourselves time to settle into a new home and, hopefully, a new job for me. I was really happy with this answer and so we have made it official (as official as this decision can be); I'll be going off birth control in September and we'll see how it goes from there.

On a more wedding-related note, I have my trial alteration appointment tomorrow. I'm going to get some of the material taken off the bottom so that I can get our mothers' corsages ordered from Etsy. I'm really excited to see how they turn out! (Random, but a crossword puzzle I was working on today had Etsy as one of the answers!)

And, last but not least, we bought a new printer today (on sale) so I can finally print everything for our scrapbook...in color!

Something Blue

143 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (62/130 done)

I got my dress label in the mail today! It's a little bigger than I thought it would be, but it's so simple and cute! I love that it's the perfect something blue, but I'm still wearing my blue underwear that I got at Gap.

I also ordered new black Maryjanes on Monday night and got an email that they shipped today! I've been needing a new pair for a while, my other ones are falling apart and dirty. They're my favorite shoes, though, and they go with everything. I also want them for the bachelorette since we're doing a little black dress dinner. Here's the shoes:

Matt and I also have an appointment with our officiant, Father Al, on Sunday. I'm hoping to finalize the mass (we have the music done and our readings picked, so it's just going over everything with Father Al) so that we can order the ceremony programs. Speaking of Vistaprint, they shipped another one of my orders! I'll see what it is in a couple days!

And one last thing, I bought another Groupon for Vistaprint! I can order almost everything for the wedding without spending a fortune!

Just a Few Inches

145 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (62/130 done)

I found a local salon that is going to do the alterations on my wedding dress! They're quite different from Alfred Angelo, as they don't start until the month before the wedding to take into account any weight loss/gain that might occur. As long as my dress is ready, I'll be happy, and they were really highly recommended online. So I scheduled my appointment for Monday, April 30 at 6 30 after I get out of work. Sadly, their alteration days are only on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I'm going to have to have my girls get their dresses altered somewhere near them, except for Shannon since Ana Bridal (where I'm going) is literally across from the end of her street. I also asked if I could come in just to get some fabric cut off so that I can send it in my our mothers' corsages and they said it would be no problem as long as I bring my shoes. I'm going next Monday (my mom will be visiting so she can go too) to get some of it cut off. Then I can order the corsages! Here's the picture from the listing; the ones I'll get will be white, obviously, with the pearls.

On another note, Matt and I found out that bed bugs are coming through the cracks between the ceiling and wall above our bed. So last night at 11 40, we rearranged the room so the bed was against the opposite wall. Matt called the apartment owners today to tell them so they can get rid of them. It sucks, but it gave us a (pressing) reason to move around the bedroom.

Brooch Blues

149 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (62/130 done)
                                   bouquet pearls (5/8 done)

I ordered my wedding dress label tonight! The money finally transferred to my Paypal account, so I put in my order on Etsy! It's a simple white piece of grosgrain ribbon with my initials and wedding date sewn into it. Here's the sample image that was on the listing:

I also ordered three more brooches for the bouquets which I have started working on again! I finished the pearls for Jess's bouquet and I'm going to start one of the other two. I'm determined to finish the pearls this weekend! Here are the brooches I ordered: the last one for Hannah's bouquet and two more for Jess's.

Hannah

Jess

Jess

I'm planning on buying my bridal shower dress tomorrow before it goes out of stock again, especially since the other one I liked is no longer available at all. I'll update on how that goes.

Tote-ally Done

152 days

currently working on: pocketfolds (62/130 done)
                                   frames (10/10 done)
                                   tote bags (14/14 done)

I finished the tote bags! I'm so happy that I got something competed today! They came out really cute! (Check out my DIY site for pictures.)

Here's a couple other things I did today:
-completed more invitations
-ordered the envelopes for the guestbook and escort cards
-had the pictures printed at Walmart
-found clutches on Etsy that I want to order for mine and Matt's moms

That's all for now! I'll post pictures tomorrow when I have more time!

Clutch Stuffers

I have been looking everywhere for cheap compact mirrors to put in my girls' clutches and I finally found some today at Forever 21! I got metal ones that say BEAUTY on the front for myself, my maid of honor, and the three bridesmaids. I got a plastic rose one for Matt's sister, and two plastic heart ones for my sisters. The metal ones were $2.80 and the plastic ones were all $1.00. Super cheap and awesome! I also love that the metals ones say BEAUTY because it ties into the fact that my wedding dress is based on Belle's dress from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

I also found a hair piece on Etsy for the wedding! It's so beautiful and will look gorgeous with my dress! This is the picture on the shop's site and I'm sure mine will look just like it.

I also decided that I may want to do wedding I Spy. I found a picture of one on Pinterest that has really cute ideas. I'm going to start making the cards on Vistaprint shortly!

That's all for now. I'll be sure to update again soon!

Hanging by a Moment

I got the wire for my dress hanger! That means that I was able to finish my hanger!!

the wire

my completed hanger!

I bought more wire yesterday at Walmart so that I can continue working on the bouquets. I also received two of the brooches I ordered in the mail today, however, one of the purple ones is way too pink so I had to find another one on ebay that I'll have to order. I may use this pin some other way, maybe give it to my flower girl since it's little pink flowers.

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!

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.

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)

Decisions, Decisions

Speaking of them, Matt and I have finalized some things for the wedding. (Of course this means that I have made other decisions that I have to make.) However, here is what we have decided:

Flowers
The bouquets and boutonnieres will be made out of pearls instead of doing real flowers. They are absolutely beautiful and we'll be able to save them without adding an extra cost. Here's a link on how to make them (it's super easy)!
For our mothers' corsages, we're going to hopefully use scraps from their dresses and have them made by this seller on Etsy. (If we can't use the scraps, we'll have them made with new material in a color that matches the dresses.)
*See pictures below!

Tuxedos
We have settled on Joseph A. Bank to rent the groomsmen's tuxedos from. They are highly recommended and have all of the colors for vests that we will need.

I actually think that's all that we have decided on so far. On another note, we have an appointment with a potential videographer this Thursday. We will also be publishing the third newsletter at the end of the week, so I'll be sure to post it here.

Bouquets 

Boutonnieres

Corsgages

All Mine

So I have already ordered and gotten some of the things that I would be needing for the wedding!

Here's a quick rundown:

• Nailpolish: I was getting a manicure with my friend and, while looking for the color that I wanted, found a beautiful pearly white from OPI called (this is perfect) "Let's See the Ring"! I found a new bottle on eBay and bought it (for much cheaper than in store).
• Garter: I was surfing through David's Bridal's accessories one day and found the perfect garter! It's rainbow!
• Clutch: I bought myself a clutch to carry the few things that I'll need on the big day! I ordered it from etsy and the roses were sewn on my hand. I got the exact colors I wanted and it's beautiful!
• Hair Accessory: I was shopping in Claire's and Icing looking for hair accessories for my bridesmaids and I found one for myself! It's just a large, plain white rose barrette but it's exactly what I wanted!
• Undergarments: I bought my bra from Gap where I work (not so exciting) and my underwear. The undies are blue lace so they double as my something blue!

Here are the pictures:

No underwear pictures, that seems slightly inappropriate!