My Dream Life

I had to share this!!!

2011-12-14T09:22:00.002-05:00

First of all its been way too long right? I hope you all are doing well and I miss you guys!! Oh and Merry Christmas!!! I have been so busy with weddings, graphic design and other projects (including my new local blog Star City Weddings). I had to stop in and say HELLO and share this cute little project that I did for my daughters teachers. They are glass ornaments filled with vintage book page pieces. They were so easy to make and I had a blast doing them. I really hope their teachers appreciate them.

Featured Again:: Munaluchi Bridal Magazine

2011-08-11T11:12:00.002-04:00

Our wedding was featured on the revamped Munaluchi Bridal Magazine's Blog! If you have not hear of this magazine you are missing out. Its a gorgeous magazine for women of color. It is done beautifully and curvy brides of color can have a real inspiration of what their wedding day could be. I've mentioned before that I think that there is a lack of inspiration in the bridal world for women of color and I am so grateful that we now have something beautiful to see! Go Munaluchi Bridal, thank you so much!!!

CLICK HERE to view the post!!

Our Wedding was Featured!

2011-06-15T12:57:00.004-04:00

I guess its never too late, lol. Our wedding was featured on the Wedding Paper Divas Blog! I order from them all the time as submitted our wedding a while back. I got an email today that we were today's real wedding! How cool! Check it out!

>>>>CLICK HERE TO VIEW: Wedding Paper Diva's Real Wedding Feature<<<<

Leila's Colorful 6th Birthday Party!

2011-06-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

{Get Party details on my new blog}

My Daughters 9th Birthday Party!

2011-05-11T09:07:00.005-04:00

I had to pop in here to share pictures from my daughter Saisunni's birthday party this past weekend! I had such a BLAST planning it and she was thrilled with how it turned out! The wedding/party planner definitely came out in my while creating the look for this party. I recycled most of my wedding items and used them and I also made all paper products for the part. I love the colors, so bold and striking! Anywhoooo, I was proud of myself so I had to share!

>>>>Click Here<<<<to view the pictures!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

2011-03-31T21:45:00.007-04:00

Its so hard to believe that a year (and 5 days) has gone by since we got hitched, lol. Its been such a great year and I don't care what anyone says, a marriage is not just a piece of paper, it means so much more than that. I think our relationship has taken on a whole new life since getting married and I love the path that we are on. We went to Savannah and had a fabulous time, its so gorgeous there I didn't want to come home. We saw one couple taking e-pics on the riverfront, one couple taking e-pics in the beautiful Forsyth Park, a gorgeous bride taking bridal portraits (her dress was fabulous), and two weddings, love was most definitely in the air. We had some fabulous dinners and was all over Savannah, I love the little shops. I chickened out on the ghost hunting tour at the Sorrell-Weed house, I just couldn't do it, lol. My gorgeous hubby on the River Front (he had on his new Armani sunglasses and D&G Watch that I got him for our anniversary): We did a lot of self portraits I was to afraid to ask someone to take a picture with my favorite camera! Cute little seagull...he wasn't shy at all! Didn't get to eat here but I heard its yummy! Forsyth Park, so gorgeous! We ventured off to Tybee Isand, it was a beautiful day and I once again followed the birds around, lol. Fort Pulaski:

My awesome hubby gave me the nicest gifts, he and our girls did a fabulous job picking them out. I got a beautiful Michael Kors bag (if you don't know it by now, he's my favorite, love him), a bad-ass (excuse my French) Glam Rock Watch ), and also a super chic Jacques Lemans Watch (he went with the modern wedding anniversary year for time) as well, my man is so sweet!

One Year Anniversary Around the Corner!!

2011-03-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Long time no talk! How is everyone? I know its been a few months since I posted but our one year anniversary (What?!? Where has the time gone?) is just a few days and I just had to pop on here and let you guys know what's going on.

First of all I have landed my dream job...I know you might be scratching your head because I did announce that I started my own company, but thats just a hobby and I need a real job with real benefits. So anyway, do you remember my gorgeous venue? Well thats where I work! I'm the Assistant Event Facility Manager! So awesome, its a fun and a great job and we are working on alot of promotional ideas, upping their social media input and adding new services. Its truly exciting and wedding season is just around the corner, how fun!

Hubby and I are off to Savannah, GA this weekend for a little getaway. Our anniversary is Sunday, March 27th and its been a great year. We will of course be enjoying a private carriage ride, great dinners and until last night we were going to ghost hunt but that is out the door because I was dumb enough to watch Paranormal Activity 2 and now I'm way to wigged out to do it. I can't wait I heard it was a gorgeous city. His gifts were so much fun to buy, I can't wait to give them to him.

We are currently looking to purchase our own home and leave the in-laws (even though they are a tremendous help). Its going to be a huge and long process because I'm super picky and won't settle. Because we didn't rack up credit cards in college or rent an apartment our credit scores are a little below 680 so we will work for the next 6 months to build that number so we can get at least 97% financing. It sucks that you're punished because you don't have a credit card history. Anywhooooo we'll just work on that and begin looking. If we have to do the 20% we will but we'd rather pay 3% down.

Anyway, thats about all thats going on at the moment. I've missed you guys but sometimes life gets in the way and I'm so busy that any spare time I have is given to my wonderful, gorgeous, caring hubby and my two sweet babies (well they're not little babies anymore but I still call that because its hurts to see them grow so fast, lol).

Splendid Wedding Co...blog & Etsy store!

2011-01-13T14:21:00.006-05:00

I'm starting to add more entries to my Splendid Wedding Co. blog. Check it out when you get a chance. Happy Thursday!

Also my Etsy store is OPEN! I only have the cake toppers in there for now but its a start. Check it out! {HERE}

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T08:49:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas you guys! Enjoy this day with your families!!!

I Quit Facebook!

2010-12-20T08:52:00.005-05:00

Yep I said it! I quit Facebook...I was always on there and for what reason? To see whats on peoples minds? No to simply be nosey and share my life with some people I barely knew. I had photos of my wedding, my babies and everything else in between. I found myself constantly checking my Facebook to see if someone replied to my status update, sent me a message or tagged me in a photo. It became all too much and I just thought "what the hell am I doing and why?" I had my phone attached to me at all times so I could pop on Facebook every 5 minutes, I had it at dinner, I took it in the bathroom, and I confess I checked it at stoplights while driving. Not only that but article after article keeps popping up about Facebook and how they care nothing about your privacy and I decided it was enough and just said forget it! So if you were my friend on Facebook and you want to keep in touch, I'll be here or hit me on my cell phone.

{Photo Credit}

Our Christmas Cards | 2010

2010-12-05T20:28:00.001-05:00

Goody Garland Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love this so much! Happy Weekend!

2010-12-03T11:24:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share! Have a great weekend lovelies, tomorrow is my birthday, WOOT!

{Credit}

{FOR SALE} Wedding Items

2010-12-01T08:45:00.004-05:00

I need to get some of these wedding items out of here! If you or someone you know that may be interested in some of the items below, please let me know :)!

{100} Apple Green Napkins
{10} 132" Round Dark Chocolate Brown Tablecloths
{3} Milk Chocolate Brown Rectangle Tablecloths

Bride & Groom Suite Sign

Brown and Green Damask Card Box

Custom Cake Toppers

I Couldn't Resist! Go Elf Yourself!!!

2010-11-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Since today officially kicks off the Christmas Season, I had to go elf myself (and fam too!)...if you want to do this just click here! We all laughed so hard, its too funny! Have a good weekend ya,ll.

Happy Thanksgving Ya'll!

2010-11-24T13:25:00.002-05:00

I am so thankful for everyone in my life, especially my hubby and babies, without them life would be so boring! I hope you guys enjoy your holiday with your family and friends--cherish every moment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Boudless Beauty!

2010-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy that I traded those gorgeous Louboutins that my husband got as my wedding gift for the iPad! I do not regret that decision one bit because the iPad is just amazing! I thought I loved it a lot but then last week after coming home from work and watching the Martha Stewart episode I dvr'd, I found that I love it even more. Martha revealed her very first MLS magazine application for the iPad, it was developed ironically by Adobe (in case you don't know, there's a beef between Adobe and Apple, but I guess when Martha calls, people answer) and it is just breathtaking! Its the best $3.99 that I have spent in a very long time.

I can't express enough how gorgeous the peony "cover" is. It was shot over a 10 hour period using 180 photos and catches the beauty of how the peony blossoms. The boundless beauty features so many other gorgeous elements but I can only share a few pictures here, I just can't get over how spectacular then entire thing is.

{Photo Credit}

I'm in a Christmas State of Mind!

2010-11-11T11:31:00.006-05:00

You all know that I LOVE Shutterfly! I used them so many times throughout the wedding process and even after. I ordered my gorgeous guestbook, thank-you cards and the parents albums from them. I have used them for a little over a year and I couldn't be more pleased with the quality of their products.

Since my favorite Holiday (yes that would be Christmas) is just around the corner I of course have already begun designing our Christmas Photo Cards in my head. I will be putting on my photography hat to take our pictures and maybe, just maybe S and I will make an appearance for a family portrait. I hate taking pictures so we’ll have to see if the moment can capture me.

We are going shopping this weekend for outfits for our girlie's and searching for an antique looking over sized chair or couch (Yes! I love antique shopping, the hubby; not so much). I wanted to have the girls in either brown and cranberry or really bright loud colors, we’ll see what we can find. I of course will share the finished product when I get them done.

Here are a few cards that I love!

Head over to Shutterfly to check out what their beautiful Holiday cards.

Our Daycation to the Blue Ridge Parkway!

2010-11-04T12:39:00.000-04:00

We live in such a gorgeous state and we vacation in other states all the time and I finally came to the realization that there is a diamond practically in our backyard and we have never explored it. We took the girls for a ride on the gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway {Happy 75th Annversary BRP}. It should truly be one of the seven wonders of the world especially at the peak of the fall foliage (which is when we went).

We drove about two and half hours south through NC and had a great picnic under a gorgeous tree full of color then we took a small hike so we could take more pictures and see more of the fantastic view!

If you live anywhere near, VA, NC, or TN you should take a ride on the parkway, trust me you will not be disappointed!

{Lover's Leap}

{Picnic Time}

Update....

2010-11-02T13:15:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was my first post in months and I failed to even give you guys an update on all the happenings in My Dream Life! First of all my business {Splendid Wedding Co.} is going pretty good, its off to a slow start nonetheless but I'm participating in my first bridal show this weekend. I decided to not do the booth but will have inserts in the gift bags and I'm gifting one lucky couple a complete invitation suite. I will however be having a booth in their spring show.

Health wise I'm good, I lost another 3 pounds since my last update and its a slow process but I have had way too much going on to really pay attention to it.

As far as married life its GREAT...I love my hubby so much. Our girlie's are doing fantastic in school, both had all E's on their report cards and I couldn't ask for anything else. Little bitty doesn't cause trouble in school like S and I thought she would. She did however get in trouble for turning the lights off while there were little girls in the potty, haha! Bless their little hearts! She apparently is a model student, hmmm I wonder what happens in her head once she gets home because she gets into everything!

We still may move up north, hubby is just waiting back to hear from one of the jobs he interviewed for. Its a long process and could take up to 60 days before he either gets a rejection or an offer (keep your fingers crossed for an offer).

Well that's about all that's really been happening, so how about you guys, what's been going on and have I missed something important?

Hey Ya'll! Happy Belated Halloween

2010-11-01T09:45:00.003-04:00

I know it been forever, but I really needed that break. I missed you guys like crazy and I still read your blogs. I just had to pop in to share some of the pictures of our girls on Halloween. They had a fun filled weekend with lots of candy, games & parties. Our oldest daughter was Alice in Wonderland and our youngest was Dorothy of course! They loved their costumes, especially because they both got to wear their hair straight. It took me about 4 hours to get all those curls out, but it was worth it and they love it.

So here they are:

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!!

2010-09-27T12:03:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to hop in and say Happy Birthday to my hubby! Not only is it his birthday, its our 6 month anniversary! Its so hard to believe that 6 months have passed so quickly. I still have not sent out thank-you cards but I did at least order them (I know its horrible). You guys have a great week.

Checking In and Taking a Break...

2010-09-21T21:03:00.003-04:00

So I went on the trip last week and had a BLAST! The flight was actually not as bad as I thought it would be, it turned out to be fun...I will fly again for sure. Thanks to all of you for the tips and encouraging words, it helped. The meeting that I went to attend went great but I'm still not at liberty to discuss this in detail but as soon as I can share, you know I will.

I'm going to be going on a little bit of a hiatus. I feel like I need a break. I'm not sure if it will be a week or a month but I will return when I feel rested. I will still read your blogs but I'm having a writers block and its so hard to find things to write about because to be honest I don't have a lot of interesting things happening. I think a break will give me some much needed time to come up with some ideas that may not bore you :P.

Are any of you other married ladies experiencing something like this?

A Scary Busy Week!

2010-09-13T19:21:00.005-04:00

I have a crazy busy week ahead! First of all tomorrow is this year's first PTO meeting at my girlies school, they're excited, there's some new technology that they're showing all the parents. I'm off work on Thursday and Friday so that means I'm cramming 5 days of work into two, so far so good though, I got a lot done today.

Thursday I will be taking my very first airplane ride! I am scared out of my mind but I know I have to do it. I'm going for a really important meeting that will hopefully open some doors wide open for me and my family (I hate keeping secrets from you guys but if it pans out I promise to let you know). Its only an hour flight which will help me get my feet wet and prepare me for the 24 hour plane ride to Thailand in 2012. I plan on keeping myself very busy in that hour with music and Netflix on my iPad. Friday will be interesting because I will be in the airport for a good portion of my day so I have a few books (Bree Tanner & Dark Flame) that will have my undivided attention. .

Saturday we're planning to head to Busch Gardens before Fall sets in. If I'm too tired for that then we may just take go to the local apple festival, its full of food, fun and games, not to mention yummy local apples.

Sunday I hope to get at least a half day of rest before heading back to work on Monday. So this week I may not be in the blogging world too much but bare with me, I'll be back next week to tell you all about my flight.

Have a good week ya'll! Wish me luck :) !!!

A little late: Weigh-In

2010-09-09T13:05:00.004-04:00

So I forgot to tell you about my weigh-in yesterday and it was partly because I didn't have a loss this week. I stayed the same which is not a bad thing. I did eat some not so healthy food over the Labor Day weekend so that may have been a factor in why the number on the scale didn't change. I also think it has a lot to do with the fact that I don't exercise regularly, if at all. I have a very full day that starts at 5am and ends at 10:30pm when I finally crash. By the time I get home (after an hour commute), get the girls ready for school and myself ready for work, check in with the couple that I'm helping plan their wedding, and give my hubby some attention its time for bed. So that's why I decided to start walking from the parking garage instead of catching the trolley and I walk up 7 flights of stairs and back down on my two ten minute breaks.

I will not let this get me down or sway me, I'm still going to keep trying!

Favorite meal last week (prepared by me!):

~Copycat On-the-Border Empanadas

(these are delish and I substituted everything for healthier options)

~Warm Mexican Corn Salad
~Homemade Re-fried Beans
~Total Calorie: Didn't count it :)~
~My favorite snack last week was: Nature Valley Fruit N' Nut Bars

~Exercise: Still not working out but talking the steps at work on my ten minute morning and ten minute afternoon break. I’m not taking the trolley from the parking garage anymore, I’m walking.

~Weight Loss: A BIG FAT 0 lbs.
~30.9 lbs. to go!

I keep trying to lose weight... but it keeps finding me! ~Author Unknown

(LOL)

DROOL Michael Kors Fall Boots

2010-09-06T13:46:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure if I ever shared this with you guys but I LOVE Michael Kors {totally obsessed} actually, just ask my husband. I purchased my first MK purse and wallet last summer and LOVE it, I went with the leather luggage type because I knew that if I was going to spend $300 on a purse and $100 on a wallet, I wanted it to last and wanted something that would work for every season. And also every pair of jeans that I own are MK because I'm serious I think he made them for curvy ladies and that's refreshing because usually big designers like him cut their jeans for the model type. I take very good care of them and they have lasted and stayed dark for over a year! And yes I LOVE Project Runway because I get to see Mr. Kors every week :).

Ok so now that you have a little background, check out these rockin' boots that are in his Fall 2010 catalog! I want them soooo bad but I just can't do it because we're saving for a house and for once I'm not going to be selfish {lol}, but a girl can drool right? All I can do is pray that TJ Maxx gets the overstock from Nordstrom's!

Are there any boots or other fall fashions that you guys are drooling over?

**SWOON**

{Weight Loss Wednesday} 9/1/10

2010-09-01T12:56:00.002-04:00

Well it was weigh in time this morning and I was pretty nervous because I know I didn’t exercise not one bit! I did however stay on track with my meals, which is more than I can say when I did Weight Watchers last year.

Favorite meal last week (teamwork with the hubby):
~Giada de Laurentiis Shrimp Dish (can’t remember the name of it)
~Homemade Pasta Sauce

~Whole Wheat Noodles
~Stuffed Mushrooms~

~Total Calorie intake for this meal was 412 Calories~

~My favorite snack last week was: Whole Natural Almonds

~Exercise: Still not working out but talking the steps at work on my ten minute morning and ten minute afternoon break. I’m not taking the trolley from the parking garage anymore, I’m walking.

~Weight Loss: -1.3 lbs.

~30.9 lbs. to go!

One should eat to live, not live to eat. ~Cicero, Rhetoricorum LV

Introducing...Splendid Wedding Co.

2010-08-30T09:33:00.000-04:00

I am finally ready to share more information about my wedding planning business. It was a lot of hard work, blood (not really), sweat, and many tears! I had the help of Robin from Boutiquemama.com. The skeleton was built by her but the logo, live buttons and all other info was all loaded and designed by yours truly. So I am pleased to introduce you to Splendid Wedding Co.

My Logo:

My Business Card (Made by: Tinyprints.com)

My site includes a link to my business blog, twitter and Facebook. Please follow me and like my page (facebook)...I need as much support as I can get!!

I would like to hear some feedback if you guys have any...Thanks!

OMG Bio of the Week on PW!!!!

2010-08-26T15:35:00.003-04:00

I just got a message and checked the forums and sure enough I have the Bio of the Week on Project Wedding!! How amazing is that! So excited!!!!

{Weight Loss Wednesday} 8/24/10

2010-08-25T12:49:00.003-04:00

Last week wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and I wasn’t as grouchy as I thought either. I was under 1100 calories everyday last week, even with us eating out at our new favorite restaurant.

Favorite meal last week (my hubby made it and it was DELISH, thanks babe!):

~Turkey Breast Meatloaf
~Slow Cooked Collard Greens and Onions
~Long Grain Brown Wild Rice
~~Total Calorie intake for this meal was 307 Calories~~

My favorite snack last week was: Natures Valley Oat & Honey Bars

I will confess that I did not exercise but I took the steps at work which is 4 flights and I even walked from the 4th floor to the 11th floor about 6 times last week, yes I almost died but I did it! I also walked to and from the parking garage which is about an 8 minute walk to and from.

Weight Loss: -4.3 lbs. (woohoo!)

32.2 lbs. to go!

Upgrade Me!

2010-08-23T12:40:00.003-04:00

How was every one's weekend? Mine was just awesome...I shopped more for the girlies (I know they have enough stuff, but I couldn't help it), we ate at our new favorite restaurant, Kick Back Jacks (and I stuck to my diet, more on that later) and we finally picked pictures for our album and made our thank you cards (we are so bad!).

While watching TV yesterday, S looked at my ring and said he wanted to get me something nicer. I just about fell off the bed because I think my ring is gorgeous but would I turn down more bling? Hell-to-the no! When we were ring shopping, I initially picked out a Hearts on Fire band but when I looked at the price I knew it wasn't going to work, we had a budget and I was hell bent on sticking to it, so I did. For our anniversary he wants to upgrade my ring, I'm excited but the ring that I have holds special meaning to me because it the ring he put on my fingers during our vows. It looks a lot like the ring I have now except it has more diamonds and they go all the way around the ring. Are any of you ladies upgrading or did you get your dream ring on wedding day?

Here's the bling....its gorgeous!

{Weight Loss Wednesday} There's an App for That!

2010-08-18T09:31:00.004-04:00

I found that if I journal and make myself accountable for what I eat, I loose more weight. Last year I lost 20 lbs. using weight watchers (I still find myself counting points), because I actually had to track what I ate and count points. While Weight Watchers was great and I almost signed up again, I found that there was a FREE, yes FREE weight loss app for the iPad. I was really skeptical with the app because it was free. Well I tried it out and it is wonderful! Almost like Weight Watchers, but you count calories and fat instead of points. It tracks your weight and you keep a daily food journal, I LOVE IT!! I've found that I'm eating a little less than 1200 calories a day which is GREAT for me. My first weigh in is on Sunday, I'll keep you guys updated :)

{Source}

On another note...my baby started Kindergarten today and my other baby started third grade! They grew so fast, I just can't believe it.

A Deal I Couldn't Pass Up!

2010-08-16T10:00:00.003-04:00

{Source}
Over the past 8 years I have put on some poundage and I can lie to myself and blame it on having two babies but its not true. It’s simply because I’m lazy, I hate working out and getting sweaty and I’m a foodie. I love to eat and my portions are way too big. Last year I lost 20 pounds for the wedding and kept off about 10 of it. I went for a regular physical about two weeks ago and when I stepped on the scale and the nurse told me what I weighed, I just about fell over. That was the where point I knew that I needed to quite lying to myself and get my big butt in shape.

Now understand that there are people that love the way I look, love my figure but I feel that I’m a little too curvy. I like my curves and in no way do I want to be skinny but I do want to get to a healthy weight and shape up a bit. I expressed my weight issues with my doctor (who is just awesome), and he gave me some suggestions that I’m going to try.

Now with that background, here is the deal I struck with my husband. He said if I reached my goal weight by this time next year then I get a pair of Christian Louboutin's, so for losing 36.5 pounds I get a pair of killer shoes (maybe I should have bargained for a pair of Tory Burch's instead) ! I have to blog about it so I have proof next year that he said it J. So starting next week I’m going to keep you updated on my journey to the CL’s. Pray for ya’ll!

How's Married Life?

2010-08-13T09:33:00.003-04:00

I get this question all the time since S and I got married. To that I say, its GREAT! I'm not going to be one of those ladies that say its just a piece of paper it doesn't change anything, because our relationship has definitely changed. S and I have been together almost 12 years and have had our ups and downs just like everyone else, but since getting married I honestly feel like I love him more. He's been nothing but a great and supportive husband. Its been almost 5 months since the wedding and I'm truly still in my newly wed bliss.

I'm trying my best to get him to do a guest post on here but he won't...I'll keep trying, so be on the lookout!

For you married ladies I'm going to ask the $1000 question: How's married life? Happy Friday Ya'll, have a great weekend!

{{Decor Ideas}} The Linen Closet

2010-08-11T09:27:00.001-04:00

The hubs and I were blessed with super great friends and family who were very generous and showered us with lots of nice gifts. The number one thing that everyone purchased was an abundance of towels, lots of towels. Not that I'm complaining because I'm surely not, I love a good nice towel and we got some very high quality beautiful ones that I cant wait to use.

Don't tell my husband I said this (I know he's reading, love you babe) but he has some slight OCD cleaning habits that drive me a little insane. He goes on these cleaning sprees that drives me bonkers, but oh well our part of the house stays clean and somewhat clutter free. We stay with our in-laws so we can save for a down payment on our dream house and its going great but I'm longing for my own space to decorate. Our time will come but in the meantime I can plan, right?

Since we have so many linens that we will need to store I thought I'd share a few linen closet ideas I fell in love with. You ladies out there with your own space, do you have linen closets or do you store your items in a different manner?

{Source}

Recovering.....

2010-08-09T10:07:00.003-04:00

Somehow I got a nasty cold last week and I have been feeling horrible! I'm talking stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, cough, the whole works. I felt like I was hit by a bus! I'm proud of myself because I still went to work, I never spiked a fever so I didn't think I would get anyone sick. I work for a health care system so there's antibacterial foam in and out of every entrance so I made sure to sanitize before I touched anything. I think summer colds suck far worse than winter colds because for one you're totally not expecting it and for two, who wants a runny nose when its 113 degree heat index outside! Not me and this cold needs to take a hike!

I had to tough it out this weekend and school shop for our girlies because they start school in 10 days! Our youngest is starting kindergarten which is unbelievable, it seems like she was just a baby last week, she is super excited but she just doesn't know that her mommy is super sad that her baby is growing up. I did bargain shop my butt off and purchased them 8 pairs of shoes, 11 shirts, 8 bottoms and two dresses all for under $500 bucks! Thanks goodness for the tax-free weekend!

I hope you all had a great weekend, Happy Monday!

::{{D.I.Y Tutorial}}:: Embossed Suite Signs

2010-08-04T08:37:00.003-04:00

{CREDIT: Sam Dean Photography}

Materials::

8 ½ x 11 Heavy Cardstock (cover weight)
12 x 12 Cardstock
Xyron Adhesive Runner Glue (found in scrapbook aisle)
Size SS08 & SS10 Hotfix Flatback Rhinestones (artbeads.com)
Hotfix Tool
Rubber Stamp
Pigment Inkpad
Embossing Powder
Embossing Tool
Ribbon (7/8” or 1.5”)
Hole Puncher
Paper Cutter
Printer

Directions::

1. In Microsoft Word go to the INSERT tab and choose TEXT BOX. Bake a text box with borders the same size as the SAMPLE page. I am not sure of the exact measurement you will have to “guestimate.” Next create another text box and enter the word “Bridal,” you will then create the rest of the wording using the same process. {NOTE:: Be sure to create a different text box for each word so the boxes can be moved around the page to the desired layout}. Next be sure to double check your spelling, if all is correct it is time to print!

2. Now you are ready to cut out your sign…using a paper cutter of any kind be sure to cut inside or a little outside the black border. You want to be sure there is no black showing after you have cut out the sign.

3. It is time to emboss…ink your rubber stamp using the pigment ink pad and stamp it in the desired position on the paper. Next pour a generous amount of embossing powder on the wet ink that you just stamped, tap off the excess back into the bottle. You will now need to use your embossing gun to heat and melt the powder until you get the shine that you are looking for.

4. Next you need to cut out your border paper (12x12 cardstock). Using a paper cutter cut the 12x12 cardstock down to 9x9. This will give the layering affect.

5. It is now time to glue your sign to the border paper using the Xyron Adhesive Glue Runner. Run the glue along all four edges of the sign. Next be sure the placement is correct because this is permanent glue and if you mess up and try to reset the sign, it will tear your background paper.

6. Next you add the crystals using the Hotfix tool and the Hotfix flatback crystals using the instructions that come with the tool. {NOTE:: Hotfix is a crystal that already has glue one the back and is then heated and adhered to the paper using a Hotfix Tool)

7. Once everything is assembled punch two holes in the top of the sign using the single hole-punch tool. Measure .25 inch down and 2.5 inches in on each side.

8. Last you will attach your ribbon. Cut a piece of ribbon about 14 inches long and string through the hole, tie the ends {NOTE:: Use a lighter to seal the ends of the ribbon to prevent fraying}.

Just Gorgeous!!

2010-08-02T13:04:00.006-04:00

I usually don't blog about celebrity weddings but I just have to this time! As you and everyone else in America know Chelsea Clinton was married on Saturday. Well I just have to say that she wore one of the most drop dead gorgeous dresses I think I have ever seen. I have seen some beautiful dresses but most of the time they are too over the top to enjoy, but this Vera Wang treasure is STUNNING! I LOVED everything about it!

Credit: Genevieve de Manio via Getty Images

Remembering my Dad...

2010-07-27T12:54:00.003-04:00

Today marks the 8th year of my dads passing. He was really my step-father but I didn't look at him that way. He was just 46 when he passed away and I thought that time would help me heal but today has been particularly hard for some reason. It didn't dawn on me until I was filling out papers at work this morning and wrote the date and it was like a slap in the face. I have been really busy today so its keeping me at ease.

On a more positive note, my husband has a job interview going on right now, you guys pray that he gets this job!

Thanks for letting me vent a little :)

I'm not a freakin' idiot!

2010-07-23T20:33:00.005-04:00

***THIS IS LONG BUT WORTH THE READ***

My car inspection sticker expired at the end of June and I forgot about. So on July 1st I went to work like any normal day and my boss said she was leaving to get her car inspected. I immediately thought OMG....I forgot all about mine, and being the awesome boss she is she let me leave to get it inspected. I arrived at Firestone, the place where I used to buy all of my tires. I sat there for an hour and half waiting (thank goodness for my iPad)...when the manager finally came to inform me that my car failed inspection because I needed both front and rear brakes. He said he would cut me a deal and could do them for around $500 and asked if I wanted to get them done that day. I said no only because I had a meeting to get to and I wanted to speak to my husband about it. I told the guy I would be back Saturday morning.

Fast-forward to Saturday morning...I ended up going to a mechanic that was closer to my house. I told the guy what Firestone said about my brakes and told him to put on both front and back brakes. About 20 minutes after he pulled my car into the garage he came out and said that after inspecting my car he found that my car should have passed inspection! My front brakes were perfectly fine and my back brakes were close but should have passed. Needless to say I was PISSED! I called and chewed the manager out at the Firestone store that performed my inspection, he talked to me like I was a complete idiot and basically told me to just deal with it...in the words of Michelle Tanner "How Rude!" Well he messed with the wrong one because I cannot stand when people try to take advantage of me, much less treat me like an idiot! The guy at the good garage said that I could actually contact the state police about the situation and the trooper would come to inspect my car and if he found that my car is ok then the inspector from Firestone would be fined. Since my back brakes were borderline I went ahead and payed the good garage to put on new ones.

Monday morning I called the state police and they came out to inspect my car and found that my brakes were passable and the mechanic from Firestone was fined and written up. Someone from Corporate Firestone called me and apologized, they ended up giving me my money back for getting my back brakes fixed at the good garage.

So my lesson to you ladies is to never let an a-hole mechanic get over on you and always get a second opinion.

Wedding Dress Preservation...

2010-07-15T08:51:00.001-04:00

My gorgeous dress has been in my closet in the bag for almost 4 months now and I just can't decide if that's the way I want to keep it or if I want to actually pay to have it preserved. I'm just wondering if I should sell it and try to get some of my money back. My daughters love it now, but will either of them really wear it for their weddings? Did any of you married ladies preserve your dress or did you sell it?

I found some great places on-line that offer preservation but they are pricey and I would have to send my dress off to some unknown place and that scares me. So I will take any and all advice on what to do my "third daughter" as I call her.

Will I become a City Girl???

2010-07-14T08:15:00.002-04:00

My hubby has been looking for a job for more than a year and half now with no such luck and we are both really frustrated. He's working on his Masters Degree and is the most articulate person I know, but the job market in our area sucks. As much as we love our families and love having their support we just think that we need to search other options. Those options include possibly moving to Washington, DC or Charlotte, NC. As much as I love visiting both of these places and have a hard time leaving when we do, I'm not sure how living there will be. I'm a country girl and have been all my life and possibly leaving it makes me very sad.

S and I have both been looking for jobs in these areas and I actually heard back from one company which made the entire process so real! Relocating with our girlie's will be a task because they LOVE their grandparents, their aunt and their cousins. I feel somewhat selfish for uprooting them like this but I know it will be for our own good. So if S can get a job in either of these cities we will be on our way. Keep your fingers crossed for us :)

What to do.....

2010-07-12T08:14:00.000-04:00

What in the world am I going to do with all of my wedding items? As of now they're sitting in my basement still boxed up from the wedding. What did you married D.I.Y. ladies do with all of your items? I'm starting my own wedding planning business and thought about just keeping them for my couples to rent. What do you think of that idea? Or should I just sell them?

By the way, I'm working on my business and website and will announce everything very soon because I need your opinion on a couple of things.

Baby Cohen

2010-07-01T20:56:00.002-04:00

Alex Wong + Dance= AMAZING!!!

2010-06-30T22:11:00.002-04:00

I just have to share this....I love TV, just ask my husband. I fill up our DVR with shows from Jersey Shore (yeah I know, but I love the fights and I laugh my ass off) to Grey's Anatomy. But one of my favorites is SO You Think You Can Dance or SYTYCD for short and this season has been crazy AMAZING!

My favorite dancer for sure is Alex Wong, his genre is ballet but he drew hip-hop out the hat and had to dance it with one of the best hip-hop dancers in the business he seemed so nervous, I was nervous for him. Well the routine choreographed by Nappy-Tabs (Tabitha & Napoleon) began and I honestly wasn't expecting anything great...well Mr. Alex freakin' killed it! He held his own and I found myself standing on my bed jumping up and dawn yelling "Oh My Gawd" my daughters looked at me like I was crazy and then joined in. That has to be one of the best routines I have seen in such a long time. TEAM ALEX baby!

Are any of you ladies TV junkies? If so did you watch last night or what are some of your favorites show?

My Friend Needs Your Votes!

2010-06-29T19:41:00.006-04:00

My friend Kianna is this super awesome, beautiful and talented mommy who is competing with other contestants to get her own television show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. She has some tough competition so she could really use your help! Go ~~~~HERE~~~~to vote for her PLEASE!!

Eclipse....Who's Excited?

2010-06-29T08:45:00.001-04:00

If you have learned anything about me over the last 20 months, you should know that I'm a little obsessed with Twilight...don't laugh because I know there are plenty more almost thirty somethings out there just like me! While I'm beyond excited about the movie and cannot wait to see I do not have the patience to go on opening night or weekend like I did with Breaking Dawn, because the tween girls crying and screaming was too much for me to bear! I thought I was going to have to go off on a thirteen year old because I couldn't hear the movie through her sobbing over Jacob taking his shirt off, LOL! So I will have to sacrifice and wait until next weekend (sigh).

In the meantime I've been working on a new project (thanks to Nicole-Lynn's encouragement) and will be revealing more soon, I promise.Here's a sneak-peak of what I'm working on and a nod to Twilight...

Check out the cool widget to the right-------->

Happy Wedding Day Jaryce!!!!

2010-06-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

One of my loyal readers and distant "friend" (we have never met and she is on the west coast) is getting married today and I just want to wish her all the best today on her special day! I know its going to AMAZING!! Remember to breath and try to at least snack.

{{HUGS}} to ya girly and I'll see you on the flip-side :)

::{{D.I.Y TUTORIAL}}:: Enbossed Booklet Programs

2010-06-20T22:54:00.004-04:00

These Programs wouldn't have been possible without the inspiration from Chermeng.

:::{MATERIALS}:::

8 1/2" x 11 Stardream 100lb. Heavy Cardstock
8 1/2" x 11 Stardream 80lb. Coverstock paper (a little heavier than regular paper)
Vellum Paper
3/16" inch hole puncher
3/8" ribbon of your choice
Rubber stamp
Pigment Ink pad
Embossing powder
Embossing gun
Stamp-a-majig
Paper Creaser
Lighter
Printer
Scissors
Paper Cutter
Double Sided Tape
Vellum Envelopes
Kleenex
Circle labels or stickers

:::{DIRECTIONS}:::

First cut your heavy cardstock in half horizontally using the paper cutter. Each program will turn out to be 4.25" x 5.5" folded, so keep this in mind when buying your paper so that you do not over buy.
Next using your rubber stamp, dip it in the pigment and stamp the from cover of your program using your stamp-a-majig (will help you center your stamp on the cover).
Next cover the wet ink with a generous amount of embossing powder, then tap the excess powder back into the jar so that you can reuse the powder instead of wasting it.
Use the embossing gun to heat the ink and powder, the stamp will become smooth as the embossing gun heats and melts the powder.
Next lay out each page of the program in a software program like Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop (I chose Photoshop). Keep in mind that you can print two program pages one sheet of paper.
I chose to print a cover sheet type page on the vellum paper. Make sure you read the directions for the vellum paper, making sure its made for the type of printer you are using (Make sure your hands are clean of any oils or lotion because they can leave a residue on the paper). After you have laid these pages cut them in half horizontally like you did the cover page.
Next lay out the other pages (my pages included a picture page, poem page, Order of Ceremony page, Wedding Party page & Thank You/Memoriam page) and cut them in half horizontally. Keep in mind that you can print front and back by turning it over and printing the other page on the back.
Put all the pages together with the cover page first, the vellum, the picture page, the poem page and using your paper creaser, fold all page in half and crease the edge.
Use your hold puncher to punch holes in the crease 1" from the top and 1" from the bottom
Cut a piece of ribbon about 14" long and feed it through the holes from the inside of the program. Tie a bow on the outside of the program and use a lighter to melt the edges of the ribbon to keep them from fraying.
Next stuff two Kleenex tissues inside the small vellum envelope and close with your custom label or sticker and add to the inside cover of your program using the double sided tape.
You are done! I worked very hard on these programs and worked hard on making these step-by-step instructions for you lovely ladies, all that I ask in return is if you repost this tutorial you link it back to my blog and all pictures are property of My Dream Ring/Life and if you use any of them please also link back to my blog. Thanks so much, ENJOY!

Happy Father's Day to my Hubby!

2010-06-20T17:10:00.005-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the great and wonderful dad's out there, especially my husband! You are such a great father and our (see I've been practicing) girls just cherish you and I appreciate all you do for us. I love you very much :)

Enjoy your baked spaghetti!

I Need Your Feedback......

2010-06-08T09:55:00.001-04:00

For you ladies still in the process of planning I want to know if you would like to have any step-by-step directions on an of my DIY projects. Some took longer than others and some are way more complicated than others but I'm willing to make directions if you want them.

I will eventually get around to all of my projects but I want to know which one is the most popular.

I have added a poll to the right column please take a minute and leave me some feedback.

Slacker!!!

2010-05-27T13:08:00.002-04:00

DH and I are slackers....we have yet to print our thank you post cards or pick out our pictures for the slideshow and albums. That is on our list of things to get done this weekend, rest is number two on that list. We traveled all last weekend so we will definitely have a movie in weekend with the girlies!

We did however pick the song for our slideshow....while listening to one of my favorite bands new album I heard the perfect song. Marry Me very last song on Train's newest album titled Save Me San Franscisco. I heard it and immediately relived our beautiful day and I cried, lol! I didn't cry on wedding day but reliving it in my head to this beautiful song just made me appreciate it more. Take a listen.

{{RECAPS}} The Details (Pic Heavy)

2010-05-25T09:01:00.001-04:00

{{My Florist was just amazing...he made all of my flowers just as I asked. The were stunning! Thanks Billy}}}

{{{My Programs}}}

{{{Another gorgeous centerpiece}}}

{{{My DIY cake topper made my cake sparkle}}}

{{{Billy rocked out my ceremony site....he used my centerpieces in the ceremony area, so they did a double duty, I loved how romantic it looked}}}

{{{Our Aisle Runner-Thanks Originial Runner Co.}}}

{{{The memory vases}}}

{{RECAPS}} RECEPTION (Pic Heavy)

2010-05-19T10:11:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my loyal readers, love you guys, thanks for sticking around even after the wedding was over and the big gaps between postings........you guys rock!!!

OK so on to more recaps!

Our reception was BEYOND FUN!! We were introduced and walked into our reception to the Star Wars Theme, yep that's right, I totally surprised the hubby and asked our DJ to play that. He was so geeked about it and I just died laughing, I thought it was hilarious!

We had our first dance to Etta James' beautiful classic At Last. It was such a sweet moment and I just danced with my sweetie and forgot that everyone else was there. We took that moment to kind of talk about the day and laugh :)

We had our sweetheart table in the middle, over looking the room so that we could mingle with everyone.

No one really danced like I thought they would but they all had a BLAST and talked and caught up.

Our cake was more than I had ever imagined...Gail Wilson did such an amazing job! There was no mushed cake on either part, we both agreed not to do it...although I was tempted.

Throwing the bouquet was fun and hilarious.....I threw it and it hit the ceiling and fell in the kid section and they were fighting over it, LMAO!

{Sparkler Send-Off} I decided at the very last minute to have sparklers and got super lucky and found them at a local party store for about $50 for 100 36" sparkles...SCORE! I got a gorgeous glass vase to hold them at TJ Maxx for $12.

This was at the end of the night and we were both so tired but I thought it would be a cool shot.

Fallen Off the Face of the Earth..............

2010-05-18T13:28:00.003-04:00

No I have not taken the tumble but I have been knee deep at my new job and spending time with my family. Since all the planning was over and the wedding is done I have nothing HUGE to share with you guys except for the recaps and the rest of the pictures. I don't really know which direction my blog will go in but I'm hoping that my hubby gets a job really soon and we will then be on the prowl for a house. That will be interesting and exciting jouney to share with you guys. Until then I will just pop in every now and then to say "HELLO" and to check on my other brides.

I do have one last batch of pictures to share with you all from the reception and the send-off. I will be posting those tomorrow, so be on the lookout. Miss you guys and I hope everyone is doing well!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2010-05-09T10:49:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely mommies and mommies-to-be!

Ooooh Look!!!

2010-05-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Penga was so kind enough to make me and my hubby a line drawing of one of our wedding pictures and she just sent me this last week. It turned out awesome!!!

THANKS PENGA, my husband LOVED it!

{{RECAPS}} After Ceremony (Pic Heavy)

2010-05-05T09:30:00.001-04:00

After the ceremony....Steven and I snuck down a secet corridor and outside so that we could take pictures alone while our guests enjoyed the cocktail hour. We had a blast and our photographer rocked and was a trooper as always!

{{RECAPS}} The Ceremony w/ Pictures

2010-05-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

Ok so last week was kind of hectic with my new job starting and a new schedule. I was so extremely exhausted and overwhelmed but I feel confident that I will LOVE this job once the training and "newness" wears off. Thanks to my devoted followers (you know who you are) for checking on me and encouraging me :)

So on to the rest of the wedding recaps....these will be funny so enjoy!

Like I mentioned earlier, I didn't cry at all during the entire process, I was just genuinely happy and excited to marry my best friend. Everything had gone picture perfect all day and we were pretty much on schedule and had a spare 40 minutes or more and we decided it was a great time to exchange gifts.

Let me start by saying that I have the best hubby in the world, he is so thoughtful and really takes notes but keeps his cool and keeps quiet 9acts like he doesn't listen, but he takes mental notes)....I kept trying to get him to tell me what my gift was but he held his ground and was tight lipped. I even tried peaking and got nowhere ;)

So here they are ladies, my hubby got me a pair of Christian Louboutin Very Prive's, as you can see by the look on my face, I had no idea. They are a badass pair of shoes :) **Ok so now on to the shocker.....I didn't keep them! I know you're thinking WTF? Well here's the issue, I have very flat and very wide feet and those shoes are NOT made for either. They were very uncomfortable and I refused to keep a pair of $800 shoes just to say I had a pair. So I traded them for an iPad, yes I did and I don't regret it not for one second. That thing is freakin awesome!

I felt bad because I only got him an IPod touch, lol.....but he loved/loves it! So I can't complain.

Ok so on to the ceremony:

It was a beautiful ceremony with a couple of exceptions. My uncle, keep that in mind as you read *uncle* was our preacher. Bless his heart from the rehearsal I just knew it was going to be a mess because he just couldn't grasp the concept of a hand ceremony and kept messing up on the regular vows. I thought that wedding day as going to be so different, but guess what, it WAS NOT. Not only did he fumble around his book looking for the vows and mispronounced some of the words in the hand ceremony but he called me "Regina" not once, not twice but all three times. My name is clearly not Regina but its something pretty close. Now I would expect this from a stranger, but geez he is my uncle. Normally I would have been pissed to say the least but all I could do was correct him and laugh. It took all I had not to burst out and laugh very loud...the people on my side of the room saw me laughing and turning my head and they all lost it was well. It was a great moment and they were so proud of me for not yelling and turning into a bridezilla. It was a tough pill to swallow at the time and kind of embarrassing, but looking back on it, its funny as hell and I wouldn't change a thing.

Me+A New Fabulous Job=Less Blogging

2010-04-27T09:32:00.000-04:00

Hey Peeps! I just wanted to check in to let you guys know that I have moved on to greener pastures and started an indredible new job yesterday! YAY! Although I was so sad and depressed that I had to leave my wonderful friends and co-workers (2nd family) at the radio station, I knew that this opportunity that was given to me couldn't be passed up. So this means that I will be on a little less and I may not peak in at your blogs as often as I used to or like to. I still have more recaps coming, I promise!
My DH bought me an iPad so I will try to catch up a little during my lunch break!

Oh and Nicole Lynn I didn't forget about your monogram :)

{{RECAPS}} Group Shots (Pic Heavy)

2010-04-26T09:30:00.000-04:00

Here are our pre-ceremony group shots. We had so much fun taking these pictures! Looks can be deceiving because it was COLD, but so beautiful out and everyone was a trooper (even the kiddos).

I went into our wedding day knowing that I wanted beautiful but timeless pictures that will look just as fresh 10 years from now as it did on the day that we got married. Our photographer delivered and so much more they all turned out beautiful.

{{RECAPS}} Bride/Groom Shots (Pic Heavy)

2010-04-21T08:18:00.014-04:00

These pictures are some of my favorites because its right before I see Mr. A for the first time. I had butterflies like crazy and just tried my best to keep it together. The moment when I walked out on the terrace and could see the back of him I almost lost it, he was so handsome and I have not seen him dressed up like that since our prom in 2000. I didn't cry and neither did he, we were both just genuinely happy to see each other. I was giddy like a school girl, you can tell in the pictures :).

{First-Look}

{Pre-Ceremony Pictures}

{My Hubby}

I have so many pictures to share, hang in there ya'll....more Bride & Groom shots coming tomorrow!

{{RECAPS}} Getting Ready (Pic Heavy)

2010-04-19T08:14:00.010-04:00

Yes! We have pictures people! Our DVD's arrived Friday and I can finally start giving some details. I am going to to the recaps in steps, so bear with me. I am going to start with everyone primping and getting ready.

I woke up at 6:30 am next to my husband to be on March 27th and just stared at him and cried, I held his hand while he slept soundly. He had no idea that this happened but it did (I know you're reading this and you know I like to watch you sleep). I just couldn't believe that he was finally going to be my husband. That was the only time I cried the entire day, I kept it together so well.

I got dressed and headed to the salon to get my hair did (I love saying that). I was about 30 minutes late but so was my stylists so I didn't feel bad, we arrived at about the same time. Brandon from Hair Attitudes was fabulous and rocked my hair out!! I love it and he was quick as well.

I then got a call from my photographer, he wanted to meet me at Macy's to get some beauty prep shots. I decided at the 11th hour to get my make-up done at Macy's, yes it was a last minute decision but I thought WTH if I look like a clown its just make-up and it'll wash off. Well let me just say that the lady at Macy's was AMAZING!! She did a super fantastic job and wow MAC make-up is wonderful, not heavy at all like I thought it would be and it looked fabulous all night long!

{Groom & Groomsmen Prepping}

{The Guys sneaking some Grey Goose right before the ceremony, shame on you!}

MORE TO COME.....

Officially Mrs. A!

2010-04-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

I am officially Mrs. A...woohooo!!! I actually did this a week and a half ago and it feels SUPER! The process was kind of a pain and I had to take a half day off work. First I had to go to the courthouse to get a "certified" copy of our marriage license, that was a whole $2.50. The DMV wait was 2.5 hours, thank goodness for my smartphone because it helped the time fly by. Now that they have changed the look of our Divers license, we are no longer allowed to smile in our pictures. Needless to say, my Nick Nolte mugshot of a license arrived in the mail within 3 days, oh well at least it says Mrs. A on it! The cost was $10.

As far as the Social Security office, I was second in line when I got there and the ladies behind the counter were super nice and loved my ring ;). It took 3 days as well to get this in the mail and the cost was also $10. So for $22.50 and a huge headache I have my name changed, yay!

{{RECAP: Part One}} Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner

2010-04-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

Our beautiful wedding was just two weeks ago and I have been dying to share all the info with you guys but wanted to wait until I had pictures to share with you. My super talented photographer posted our pictures but we have not received our CD yet and I decided I couldn't wait anymore! I will start with our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner recaps.

Our rehearsal was set for the Friday before our wedding and everyone was suppose to be there at 5:00 pm sharp because we only had our venue for 1 hour. Well guess what, everyone was on time and ready to go except my brother who decided that he would get bombed at happy hour after work. My sister was kind enough to pick him up and he made her late. She was beyond frustrated and was stuck in rush hour traffic with someone who was drunker than Cooter Brown. He decided that while stuck in traffic he had to go to the bathroom, he commenced to jumping out of the car and running up the road to the store, LMAO my sister was so mad!!!

My preacher was also very late and I didn't understand that because we gave him a timeline two weeks before the wedding...WHATEVER!

Needless to say our rehearsal started at 5:45 pm but Lauren that worked for our venue was kind enough to let us still run through and do what we needed to do. The entire time I was giving my brother hell for getting drunk, he apologized in a drunker slur of words by saying "sssssorrry ssssissss." Looking back at it, the entire experience was hilarious and we ended up having a GREAT time at dinner. Don't sweat the small stuff ladies, it may make for some funny recaps :)

{Blog Makeover}

2010-04-12T08:15:00.004-04:00

As you guys can see I have been working hard on a blog makeover and went in a different direction than I intended! No more Chocolate and Lime....as much as I loved those colors I wanted to brighten things up a bit with a little Marigold, Lemon Chiffon & Black. Oh and I changed my blog name as well....now that S and I are happily married we are ready to start our new lives together I figured I needed a new name. What do you think? I am still working out some kinks so bear with me.

PLEASE EXCUSE THE MESS!!!

2010-04-11T21:45:00.002-04:00

I am currently in the process of a BLOG MAKEOVER...... so if you come over and everything looks a little funky, please excuse the mess!!

RECAPS....

2010-04-01T19:35:00.002-04:00

I know that you guys probably want recaps but I really want to wait until I get pictures back so I can have a visual to go along with the stories. So please be patient with me and I promise to have some stories that will make you either laugh, cry or say WTF? Thank you all again for your support :)!!!!

Pro TEASERS!!!!!

2010-03-31T11:09:00.004-04:00

The uber talented Sam Dean of Sam Dean Photogrpahy is such a tease! He emailed me a couple of teasers and let me just say OH-EM-GEEEEEEE I am beyond excited and cannot wait to see more! They are some gorgeous shot, the lighting is just perfect in everyone! THANK SAM!!!

{CREDITS:: Sam Dean Photography}

A Few NON-PROS......

2010-03-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

No recaps yet because I am trying to rest but the day was beautiful and just what I expected (for the most part), couldn't have asked for anything more!

All Pics were taken by Chris Lee:
He didn't get any during the ceremony....

Officially Signing Off!!!!

2010-03-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

Well ladies...it is a day before our wedding and I wanted to officially sign off! I may check in on Saturday, but don't hold me to that. We are not going on a honeymoon so I will try to come on next week sometime with recaps. Eeeeek I cannot believe that I will be getting married tomorrow, I love him so much and can't wait to make it official.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement, it has meant more to me than you know. You guys have kept me going when I thought that I wanted to just throw in the towel and elope to Vegas! I couldn't have done this without you guys being here to root me on! Many blessings to you all and see you on the flipside :).

Cross you fingers that everything off without a hitch!

2010-03-25T14:06:00.005-04:00

Here are our programs...they were definitely a labor of love but well worth the effort because they turned out GREAT!! I used Charmeng's programs as my inspiration........ENJOY!

Hair Trial

2010-03-22T08:25:00.001-04:00

We are in the very last days of planning and getting ready to become a married couple, so posts will be very scarce, but I promise to catch you all up on everything and give all the deets after the big day!

I did however go for my hair trial last week and I will have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. My stylist Brandon, from Hair Attitudes rocked my hair out! I LOVE what he did to it and it turned out AMAZING!!!

Please excuse the shiny face, lol.....

We are Licensed to Wed....

2010-03-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

We had to do the "traditional" wedding license photo. Obtaining the license was a fairly easy process...there was no line (woohooo for that), we filled out some simple paper work, showed our ID's and went on our way. Thank goodness we were not required to give blood because Mr. A would have passed out, he does not do well with needles!

We are getting so so so so close to our big day and we are both very excited and ready to roll!!

Please Do Share...

2010-03-09T09:38:00.001-05:00

Here are our photo share cards, they are the standard business card size. I LOVE the final product, they turned out so great. I did not DIY these because I am just running out of time and to be honest if i had to d one more DIY I just might CRACK :) I ordered these from TinyPrints, they have such quality products and super quick shipping!

{FRONT}

{BACK}

A Few Other Inspirations for you guys::

Bee (BP Wedding) she is a DIY diva....love her!

The fabulous AmyJean from The Relentless Bride::

2010-03-03T08:13:00.003-05:00

Not having special loved ones there to celebrate your day with you can be really hard. So to memorialize those who are no longer with us I decided to again use an Ashley (Kholer44) D.I.Y. project, because I fell in love with how elegant yet simple her memorial table looked. So here are my memorial candles. They were very easy to make and took me less than 30 minutes.

Materials:

Vellum Paper
Thin Glue Strips
Ribbon
Small Cylinder Vases (I purchased mine at the Dollar Store)
Scissors

Directions:

Lay out the design that you want on your Memorial candles in a program like Word or Adobe Photoshop.
Next print your design making sure that you read the paper instructions to see what printer is safe for the paper (I used a laser printer).
Next cut the paper to the right size and wrap the paper around the outside of the vase.
Secure the two ends of the paper with a piece of thin glue strip.
Next cut your ribbon to size and use the thin glue strips to secure the ribbon to the paper. (I ran my ribbon through my Xyron sticker machine)

I plan on using small LED lights to keep them lit throughout the night (I also purchased these at Dollar Store).

{{BRIDAL SHOWER #1}} Work Peeps!!

2010-02-28T18:49:00.007-05:00

Last week was ever so busy but there was a light at the end of the tunnel with a GREAT shower given to me by my WONDERFUL co-workers (Thanks Sherry, Beth, Sharon, Patti & Susan). I had such a great time, everyone was beyond generous. FH was pleasantly surprised when I got home and my Jeep Compass was packed full of gifts, the both of us really appreciate everything! Here are a few pics from the shower::

{Me having a GREAT time!}

The infamous toilet paper dress, it was funny to watch!
{From left:: Janney, Sandra, Little Grace & Kristin}

{From the left:: Cindy, Susan, Sharon, Sherry, Roger, Patty, Beth & Me (Center)}

The lovely gifts I received, so thankful!

30 Days to GO!!!!!

2010-02-25T09:29:00.004-05:00

{SOURCE}

My oh my how the time has flown right by me. I woke up this morning and realized that 30 days from now I will be getting married to the sweetest most sincere person I know.

I Love You Babe!!

{Source}

BUSY Wedding Week!!

2010-02-23T12:08:00.002-05:00

Hey all!! Please excuse the lack of posts this week but I have a very busy week ahead of me. We are now just 32 days away from our big day and there is lots to be done! On the schedule for this week:

Monday (yesterday):: Buy 3 plastic storage containers to hold all of my wedding items
Tuesday:: Go to DB (during lunch break) to pick up my youngest daughters dress, Dress fitting with the bridal party at 5:00pm
Wednesday:: Hair consultation & Work Bridal Shower (WOOT, these ladies are so sweet for doing this for me)
Thursday:: Nothing booked so far....
Friday:: Get marriage license, last visit with florist (drop off all vases) & pay remaining balance, pay remaining balance on venue.

I am feeling just a bit overwhelmed but I know the end product will be all worth it!

2010-02-19T08:17:00.004-05:00

I have really been on the search for a great but affordable way to display our table numbers. Everything that I came across and actually liked was just too pricey. So off to the Dollar Tree I went hoping to find some cute frames or photo clips. Well not only did I find the cutest display easels but they were packed 2/$1, eeeeek I was just way too excited. They are so cute and my numbers fit like a glove!!! So if you are anywhere near a Dollar Tree I suggest you guys check them out. They also had great frames, nice votive holders & small cylinder vases.

I am having a dress fitting this weekend so keep your fingers crossed that it still fits like a glove. Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!!

{FRAMES:: used for bathroom poems & wish table}

2010-02-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

Here are my D.I.Y. door signs for the Bridal Suite/Do Not Disturb & the Groom's Suite. They were very easy to make, I simply printed the wording on a laser printer, embossed them & added the crystals.

Here is my program basket, I followed the same directions as listed above and just glued the sign to damask ribbon and added it to my basket that I purchased from T J Maxx for $5.99. As you will see there are no programs in the basket yet because I am currently working on them, they are a very detailed design and I want them to be as perfect as possible so give me a week or two to get those printed and assembled.

2010-02-15T08:53:00.004-05:00

This weekend was a very productive one! I was able to get a lot of my D.I.Y. projects out of the way, the only items left to finish are my memory vases, programs and menu’s. I decided not to do the moss/flower initials because it is just too much trouble and not worth the stress to me. I am going to start by showing you the bathroom baskets (Inspired by Jessica), they turned out great and I think I did pretty well on the overall cost. My baskets were $4.99 each (T J Maxx), which was a steal and I plan on using them for storage after the wedding. The items in the basket were purchased at CVS & Dollar General; I mostly shopped in the travel section because the prices were right. Now most will pose the question of “Are Bathroom Basket really necessary?” and to that I will say no, but it is a nice gesture to offer guests and I made room in my budget to include them.

Here is what I put in the baskets:

~Lotion ($2.50 each) ~Deodorant ($2 each) ~Hairspray (.99 each) ~Gel (.99 each) ~Q-Tips (2/.99) ~Cough Drops (.49 each) ~Gas-X ($2 each) ~Pepto ($1.50 each) ~Advil ($1.89 each) ~Ant-Acids (.99 each) ~Goody’s (.59 each) ~Cleansing Cloths (.99 each) ~Shout Wipes (1 box $1.99) ~Safety Pins (.50) ~Combs (.99 pack of 10) ~Floss Picks (.99 each) ~Lint Roller ($1.99 each) ~Band-Aids ($1.89 each) ~First Aid Kit (.99 each) ~Nail File/Clippers (.99 each) ~Gum ($1.00 for 4 packs) ~Mints (.49 each)

Women's Basket Only: *Tampons (used from Mega pack already purchased) *Sanitary Napkins (.99) *Bobby Pins (.99) *Elastic Hair Ties (.99) *Sewing Kit (.50)

Total Cost: $62.97 with baskets (way under my $100 budget)

The poem I used:

So happy you're here to share in our special day,

but should something happen to go astray…

Please help yourself to the contents within the basket.

Use only what you need and leave the rest,

It may also be useful to another guest.

So repair the damage that may have been done,

Then hurry on back and join in the fun!

{Men's Basket}

{Women's basket}

{New Wedding Trends for 2010}

2010-02-11T09:30:00.001-05:00

OneWed has annouced their Top Ten Wedding Trends for 2010 and what a fabulous list they have put togther. Check them out:

Screw the Trends - Be Yourself
The top wedding trend for 2010 is personalization. Instead of a cookie-cutter ceremony and reception, the new focus is on customizing the big day for the bride, groom and wedding party. Do you and your future hubby share a special hobby? Whether it’s exotic travel or tennis, find a way to make your passions part of the celebration. Also, the emphasis on individual style includes your bridesmaids. Instead of clones wearing the same dress, shoes and identical updos, try picking a color scheme and giving each bridesmaid the opportunity to choose a dress that shows her personality… and complements yours.
Bright Color, Black Backdrop
For the latest wedding look, the only thing white should be the bride’s wedding dress. Black accents and bright, bold colors are in, for everything from bridesmaid dresses to flowers to table linens. However, if you want a timeless dress for your bridal party, you can always do classic black with vibrant accessories and bouquets.
Earth-friendly “I Do’s”
You can have a sustainable love and a sustainable wedding. Eco-conscious nuptials are all the rage, featuring pre-owned and vintage wedding dresses, LED lighting, recycled paper invitations and locally–grown food and flower choices. Couples are making a commitment to each other and the environment with green weddings!
Groomed for Success
Today’s groom not only rocks a tux, he dives into the planning process… and a little man-scaping along the way. As a fashion-conscious guy with a vision for his wedding (or at least a few worthy ideas), he’s jumping online and searching blogs like: The Man Registry, The Plunge, Temple of the Groom, The Groom Says, and Ben the Groom. It’s wedding planning with a healthy shot of testosterone and a great distraction while you go dress shopping.
Everything Old is New Again
Maybe it started with Mad Men, or with the desire to wear a pillbox hat, or a fixation with a fabulous birdcage veil. Brides are catching vintage fever and falling head over heels for retro looks like Depression era glass and tea-length dresses. On the upside, vintage looks are not only classic but eco-friendly and affordable. Brides can channel old-school glamour with a modern twist… and keep budget worries in the past.
You Can Go Home Again
Backyard rustic chic is the best way to describe the newest wedding venue - your own backyard. Whether the wedding actually IS in your own backyard, a local park, beach, barn or even the “backyard” of a fabulous resort, the idea is to invite just your nearest and dearest to a wedding that’s long on comfort, charm and love, but low on artifice, pretension, and unnecessary extras. Low heels, casual dresses, and a tent in case of rain are all you need!
Mix and Mingle
Instead of a traditional sit down dinner, experiment with a new twist on wining and dining. To get your guests mingling, try an extended cocktail hour, lounge-style seating or a family-style meal. Anything you can do to shake up the format will give your guests a chance to socialize more freely… and avoid the awkward introductions at the table with assigned seating. Also, couples want to maximize their time with guests and are taking advantage of first-look photo sessions (to cut down on photo time after the ceremony), pre-wedding festivities and after-parties to keep the celebration going.
Return to Romance
Forget the “perfect day.” Now couples are letting go of the pressure and creating a “perfect for us” wedding. Romance is in the air with special engagement photo sessions, videotaped proposal stories to capture the memory (and possibly share at the reception) and a renewed focus on marriage. A few other romantic touches include the abundance of lace and tulle on the bridal runway for 2010 dress trends and the continuing popularity of deeply emotional vows and toasts.
Food You Can Eat
We all cheered when wedding menus expanded beyond chicken, beef and fish, but let’s face it, infusions, foams, mousses and “bites” left a lot of us speed-dialing for delivery after a wedding reception. Fortunately, today’s wedding receptions are serving upscale comfort food at sit down meals, buffets and as late night snacks. Desserts are getting a make-over, too, as hard-to-eat fondant is upgraded to butter cream icing on wedding cakes (softer and sweeter) and the cakes are paired with palate-friendly sweets like pies, brownies and cookies.
iDo
Tech-savvy couples are embracing online wedding planning to save time and money…and tweeting about it along the way. Aside from status updates, brides-to-be are experimenting with LED lighting, iPod DJ’s and digital cameras to complement their professional wedding vendors. WeddingPreParty.com is also a top destination for Facebook-friendly couples who want to bring their friends and guests into the planning process.

They are also celebrating the re-launch of their super helpful and easy to use Dress Gallery, which contains over 2,000 dresses and 3,000 images. Brides can search a vast array of styles, designers, prices, fabrics, necklines, lengths, embellishments, colors and silhouettes.

2010-02-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus but we have been hammered with snow storms almost back to back here in VA and I lost power for three days, so I am just now gettting back in the swing of things. I love the winter and wished for snow but definitely not this much.

Ok so on to wedding realted news... I have found my drink dispensers, CHECK that off. They are beautiful one gallon hexagon shaped drink dispensers. I purchased them from T J Maxx and they were marked with a super price of $14.99 each which is half price compared to others I had my eye on. I could have rented these for $20 each from my caterer but thought that owning my own would be a better value and I can use them when fh and I have cookouts and parties which is something we love to do. I will be serving Rosemary Lemonade and Southern Sweet Tea with Lemon in the dispensers.

{SOURCE}

2010-02-04T09:30:00.001-05:00

We have rings people! After much procrastination and lots of searching the beau and I finally decided on rings. I love my ring, its simple yet beautiful, in the end I decided against the Tacori band that matched my ring because I didn't like the way it fit and I didn't like that it couldn't be worn by itself. The ring that I got actually has the same milgrain as my band and I get a little diamond bling to go with it. My FH decided to go with a tugsten carbide ring because he works out 5 days a week and wanted to get something that could get scratched and not matter, he really likes it. Thanks to Carolyn at Ben David's for her help and patience!

I Need Your Votes!!!

2010-02-02T12:21:00.003-05:00

{Source}

Hey my lovely readers I could really use your help! I would love to win the best blogger in Roanoke and with your votes I just might pull it off! If you have a minute can you please go HERE and cast your vote for http://mydreamring.blogspot.com/ as the Best Local Blogger, I would really appreciate it!!! Love you guys!!

2010-02-01T11:39:00.003-05:00

First I would like to thank you guys for all the lovely comments about my invitations and the magazine nod, you all are so sweet.

A couple weeks ago I received my beautiful guestbook from Shutterfly! I was quite nervous when I ordered it because I wasn't sure of the quality because I have not ordered a book from them before. I have to say that the quality is AMAZING and the price so right for my budget, I used a 30% off code as well as free shipping so I saved about $28. If you ladies are looking to do a different guestbook, consider Shutterfly.

**All pictures are property of MyDreamRing

I Was Featured in a Magazine!!

2010-01-27T19:51:00.005-05:00

Oh Em Geeeee!!! I cannot believe this, my lovely blog was featured in a local hot magazine! Bella is one of my favorite magazines I always make sure I have my copy every month. I was especially excited about the February issue because I knew it would have some eye-candy in it and some helpful information because its their Wedding Issue. I just love the cover! I am so happy to be featured with the likes of veterans like Style Me Pretty & Bride's Cafe! Oh and one of my local favorite vendors, Kristin of I Do Originals has a huge article in the magazine as well, congrats to her!

Thanks Joey :)

{Source}

{{{MY DIY INVITATION SUITE}}}

2010-01-26T09:30:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to finally be able to share our invitations with you guys! They have been such a labor of love. There were so many times when I thought about giving up and just ordering invitations from a design company, but I knew if I could just find strength and look at the big picture it would all be worth it.

I had the writing printed at a print shop with the thermography machine, and they turned out FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!! I was so blown away by the price that I was given, because I was told and read about how expensive it was. I hand embossed all of the green damask elements on my invite. I also added the peridot Swarovski crystals just so I could have a touch of bling to the entire suite. All envelopes were hand written by me and the return address was a custom stamp. If you guys have any questions just ask and I will reply to your comment on this post.

{Cost Breakdown}
Paper:: $40 (100 sheets of Champagne Metallic 100lb.)
Thermography Printing:: $89.00 (60 sheets printed and cut to size)
Belly-Band Prints & Cutting:: $4.00
Brown Card Stock:: $2.50
Green Textured Paper (Belly-Bands)::$1.25
Glue::$5.00
Swarovski Crystals:: $4.00
Envelopes::$15.00
Pocketfolds::$55.00
Custom Stamp:: $18
Postage:: $61.20
TOTAL COST:: $292.20
Total Cost Per Invite:: $5.13

They're Off...Invites are in the Mail!

2010-01-20T14:34:00.006-05:00

So today was a GREAT day! I finally put the invites in the mail!!!!! I am so excited and happy that they are finally finished and headed to our lovely guests! Oh what a headache they were, but it was all worth it because they turned out BEAUTIFUL and just the way I wanted them. I love that the post office offered a $.61 cent wedding stamp it saved me about $20, so woohoo to that.

{Wedding Stamp}

{RSVP Stamp}

{Stopped at a stop sign in from of the Post Office, so happy! Sorry about the bad cell phone pictures!}

{My precious cargo}

{There they go.....} {Our Invitation to Mr. President}

{{{SNEAK PEAK}}}

Rethinking my centerpieces....

2010-01-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

I initially wanted my high centerpieces to be the Carnation orbs on top of a cylinder vase, but they are going to be very pricey and with my final floral meeting coming up I am trying to find a more budget friendly alternative. I want to keep things classy and fell in love with curly willow branches. They will be tall but not as pricey as the carnation orbs. See the picture for my inspration on the willow branches. I will not have roses but carnations and moss. What are some of your thoughts?

{source}

We are Finally Registered!

2010-01-18T08:09:00.004-05:00

{Source}

With just a little over two months until the wedding, FH and I finally did our registry. It was really fun, we were acting like children in a candy store! I had a lot of reservations about registering because FH and I already live together and I didn't want to feel like we were begging people for gifts. We currently live with our in-laws (in the Guest House) to both save money for our dream home and because we have hectic schedules and his mom is such a help with our daughters. I was encouraged by my friends and family to do a registry anyway because most of the items in the guesthouse belong to his parents, so we did. We chose Belk, Target & Amazon for our three places because it gives our guests in all budget ranges a chance to choose where they would like to purchase from.

Did anyone else fell funky about registering? Or am I over analyzing again?

I Have Been a BAD BLOGGER!!!!

2010-01-11T08:05:00.004-05:00

Sorry for being so scarce lately, but I am in the thick of finishing up our beautiful invitation that will hopefully go out this Friday so I can share them with you all next week. They have honestly been more work than I initially thought.

I do have a long story for you if you want to read about it....

You know that I wanted to do the calligraphy for each invite and I started out doing that but felt overwhelmed so I nixed it. I then commenced to creating the really pretty wrap-around labels. On night one of trying to create the labels my computer decided that it wanted to crash, I freaked out to say the least because I had not backed up pictures or documents in such a long time. I called our IT guy from work (who is just a saint and is so sweet!!), he calmed me down and told me to bring my laptop to work the next morning. Initially he fixed whatever was wrong with my computer, and I backed up everything from my wedding flash drive to my work computer because I was paranoid about losing all my work. The next night the computer is working fine I spent 4 hours creating my labels and plugging in each address, at the end of doing all of that I took my computer and plugged the printer up to it to do a test print. I went to open my label and guess what "file could not be found!" WHAT!?!? I looked at my flash drive and it was not blinking like it should have been, to make a longer story short, I lost everything and the flash drive was FRIED!! Thank goodness I backed everything up on my work computer that day. But it did not save what I had just spent 4 hours creating. I just took it as a sign that I am meant to hand address those envelopes and I am happy to report that I am halfway done and I will probably have carpel tunnel by the end of the week but I couldn't be any happier with the results! I can't wait to share them with you guys.

Here are the labels I was working on, mine had a different design:

Source

My New Clutch!

2010-01-04T08:22:00.006-05:00

A while ago I purchased a gold clutch for wedding day. It was a great deal at only $6 but after I put my entire look together I found that the gold was just too strong and my jewelry is all platinum or silver so it did not mesh well. So here I was on the hunt again for a new clutch with more of the champagne color in it to match my dress and shoes.

While Christmas shopping I came across this beautiful little Jessica McClintock purse and thought it was a great fit. It had the beautiful champagne that matched my dress and also had a bit of a gold color in it, but not sparkly gold like the other clutch. It was a steal @ $12 because they retail for $25. I love it and its not too big or too small its perfect for me.

**All Pictures are property of MyDreamRing

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-01T01:09:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year peeps! The one thing that I am looking forward to in 2010 is my wedding!!! I will be marrying the man who has stuck by me for the last 11 years and we have been through so much together and I am so thankful for him and my daughters. I have a feeling that 2010 will be a great year.

Best of Luck to all of you! You all have a safe and fun night!!

My Embossed Table Numbers!!!!

2009-12-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

I have been so excited to show you guys my table numbers! They were actually quite easy to make, with the exception of trying to find the perfect color ink (after going to more than 4 stores, uggghh!!).

{The Process}
I designed the layout of my cards in Adobe Photoshop CS using the same beautiful font that I used for my invitations. I then printed my cards on pre-cut 4x6 Metallic paper that I purchased from A.C. Moore. Next I used my Impress Damask Stamp and my Stamp-a-Majig tool to line up the print just right and I commenced to stamping & embossing. I found that during the process I became a little obsessed with stamping & embossing, lol! It's so easy, all you need is a pigment (slow drying) ink pad, a rubber stamp, embossing powder & your handy dandy embossing gun. It can do amazing things!!!

{Details about the Name of our Tables}
Since my FH has been super sweet to me and such a help throughout this entire planning process (and well because its his wedding too), I decided to let him name the tables after Star Wars Planets & Moons. Yeah that's right we have a little Star Wars in our wedding, but I didn't mind because it is done in a tasteful way & I love having him be a part of the styling process. With names like Alderaan, Degobah & Naboo, they actually sound quite majestic, lol!

Ok so without further ado, here they are::

...Coming up next: The Perfect Clutch

Less than 100 days to go!!!!

2009-12-28T09:20:00.000-05:00

Ok I guess I have been way too busy to even notice but I missed the 100th day countdown to the wedding! Ooooops!

I am getting a lot of DIY projects completed at a great pace. Below is my updated list, those in Yellow are completed. Mr. A and I are both getting really excited and just want our big day to get here.

DIY List::

Table Numbers
Paint Parasol
Emboss Program covers
Crystalized Cake Topper
"I Do" Rhinestone Shoe Decals
Emboss & Add Crystals to Invites
Adhere Invites to Pocketfolds
Belly-Bands for invites
Emboss Envelopes
Address envelopes with calligraphy
Print & Assemble Programs
Reserved Seating signs
Bride & Groom Suite signs
Seating Chart Poster
Cookie Bar lables
Memory Table vases
S & J Moss Letters

Coming on Wednesday...Table Numbers with lots of pictures!!

Happy Holidays!!

2009-12-24T08:48:00.003-05:00

I just want to take a minute and say Happy Holidays to my lovely readers! You guys continue to inspire me and keep me sane and I truly appreciate you all! I hope you all have fun, enjoy every moment.

2009-12-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend we were SNOWED IN and I loved it! We got a little over a foot of snow here and we have not had that much snow since I can remember and I'm 28!

Well with not a lot to do, I wrapped Christmas gifts, watched Christmas movies and practiced doing calligraphy. I purchased a very nice calligraphy set in the beginning of our engagement because I have always wanted to learn but just kind of forgot about it. I practiced for about an hour and my end results shocked me!! I did better than I thought! I chose not to trace at anytime, all of my practice was freehand. I think it makes it easier and you can put your own twist on it.

My invites will be mailed in chocolate brown envelopes and finding white ink was kind of a challenge but I finally found some at a painters store. Since I am only sending out 60 invites I think this may be an easier DIY task than I first thought and I am going to be doing a little at a time instead of attempting to do them all at once.

I'm a DIY Bride...But It Comes With Frustrations!!!

2009-12-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

So you ladies know that I'm a do-it-yourself bride and all I have to say is that it comes with many, many, many frustrations. I did some of my own projects to save money but my invitations were another question. I am D.I.Ying those because I knew exactly what I wanted and by designing them myself, I avoided the going back and forth with a designer. I have been lucky thus far because I know Adobe Photoshop CS like the back of my hand so the design part was very easy. Now comes the frustrations...

I went to If It's Paper an Xpdex division store and purchased the wrong paper not once but freakin' THREE times!! I felt like a total fool because I actually bought the right paper the first time, but that happens when you second guess yourself. I then took it to the printers across the street only to find out after I placed the order that they didn't have my ink color and it would take weeks to get my invitations back. Keep in mind that this place is about 20 minutes across town. So after work I had to go back to that place pick up my paper cancel that order and drive about 30 minutes downtown to the other printer place. Art Printing Co. in downtown Roanoke is so GREAT they offer their own in-house Thermography printing and allow you to customize your ink color not to mention that the guy helping me has been at this business since it opened 25 years ago! So I thought all was good and dropped off my print job at the new printers and was pulling off only to see the little guy running behind my car trying to flag me down. I thought, oh no, what now? I rolled my window down and he then told me that I only had 50 sheets of paper and my order was for 60. I didn't realize when I purchased the heavier card stock that it didn't have 100 sheets but only 50 (I was in a hurry like always and didn't read the package). So I had to drive back across town to buy another pack of paper. I know, I should be on America's Funniest Home Video's, needless to say my invites and inserts are now being printed and cut.

I hope to get them back by the end of the week so I can start hand embossing the damask part on them and gluing them to my pocket folds. I am going to try my best to document so I can show you all the finished product after they have been mailed out. Keep your fingers crossed that it's smooth sailing from here, it can only get better, right?

My Aisle Runner is HERE!!!!

2009-12-08T08:06:00.003-05:00

I have been waiting for about 9 months to get this runner and let me just say that it was well worth the wait! The Original Runner Co. is brilliant and their work is just spectacular! I am so impressed that these are hand drawn and hand painted. The non-skid backing on this runner is amazing and will ensure that I will not fall on my face on my wedding day, yay for that!!! It is painted with glitter paint so it has a little sparkle to it. I LOVE IT! After the wedding the FH and I are going to have it cut and framed to hang in our bedroom wall.

{Detail}

{Non-skid backing}

My Dream Life

I had to share this!!!

Featured Again:: Munaluchi Bridal Magazine

Our Wedding was Featured!

Leila's Colorful 6th Birthday Party!

My Daughters 9th Birthday Party!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

One Year Anniversary Around the Corner!!

Splendid Wedding Co...blog & Etsy store!

Merry Christmas!!!

I Quit Facebook!

Our Christmas Cards | 2010

I love this so much! Happy Weekend!

{FOR SALE} Wedding Items

I Couldn't Resist! Go Elf Yourself!!!

Happy Thanksgving Ya'll!

Boudless Beauty!

I'm in a Christmas State of Mind!

Our Daycation to the Blue Ridge Parkway!

Update....

Hey Ya'll! Happy Belated Halloween

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!!

Checking In and Taking a Break...

A Scary Busy Week!

A little late: Weigh-In

**DROOL** Michael Kors Fall Boots

{Weight Loss Wednesday} 9/1/10

Introducing...Splendid Wedding Co.

OMG Bio of the Week on PW!!!!

{Weight Loss Wednesday} 8/24/10

Upgrade Me!

{Weight Loss Wednesday} There's an App for That!

A Deal I Couldn't Pass Up!

How's Married Life?

{{Decor Ideas}} The Linen Closet

Recovering.....

::{{D.I.Y Tutorial}}:: Embossed Suite Signs

Just Gorgeous!!

Remembering my Dad...

I'm not a freakin' idiot!

Wedding Dress Preservation...

Will I become a City Girl???

What to do.....

Baby Cohen

Alex Wong + Dance= AMAZING!!!

My Friend Needs Your Votes!

Eclipse....Who's Excited?

Happy Wedding Day Jaryce!!!!

::{{D.I.Y TUTORIAL}}:: Enbossed Booklet Programs

Happy Father's Day to my Hubby!

I Need Your Feedback......

Slacker!!!

{{RECAPS}} The Details (Pic Heavy)

{{RECAPS}} RECEPTION (Pic Heavy)

Fallen Off the Face of the Earth..............

Happy Mother's Day!!

Ooooh Look!!!

{{RECAPS}} After Ceremony (Pic Heavy)

{{RECAPS}} The Ceremony w/ Pictures

Me+A New Fabulous Job=Less Blogging

{{RECAPS}} Group Shots (Pic Heavy)

{{RECAPS}} Bride/Groom Shots (Pic Heavy)

{{RECAPS}} Getting Ready (Pic Heavy)

Officially Mrs. A!

{{RECAP: Part One}} Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner

{Blog Makeover}

PLEASE EXCUSE THE MESS!!!

RECAPS....

Pro TEASERS!!!!!

A Few NON-PROS......

Officially Signing Off!!!!

{{Our DIY Programs}}

Hair Trial

We are Licensed to Wed....

Please Do Share...

{{D.I.Y. Memorial Candles}}

{{BRIDAL SHOWER #1}} Work Peeps!!

30 Days to GO!!!!!

BUSY Wedding Week!!

{{BUDGET Find:: Display Easels}}

DROOL Michael Kors Fall Boots