Will You Be My Bridesmaid? Wedding Project #1

One great thing about being engaged (one of many!) is that it is providing ample opportunities to let my creative side loose.  The first project I'm going to post about is something I must admit I am pretty proud of- my bridesmaid invitations!

When I first saw something on Pinterest about bridesmaid invitations I absolutely loved the idea.  I liked this one and this one and I really liked this one, but nothing felt quite right for me.  The box one was really hard to say no to, but I have limited funds and too many bridesmaids that I had to mail these invitations to!  Plus, I don't really like to copy/paste, and that includes seeing an idea and following the step-by-step instructions; I have to make it my own!  I encourage anyone who sees this and happens to like it enough to use it for their own purposes to use this idea as a template only and let your creative juices flow, but feel free to do it the same way if that's how you roll :)  I'm still fairly new at this whole taking step-by-step pictures thing, so excuse these pictures if they aren't the most clear!

I started out with white square scrapbook paper.

All fresh and waiting to be crafted on!

And picked up this cool scrap paper pad at the craft store.

I love this look!

These papers are double-sided, with each side having a different pattern.  This cover shows the majority of patterns to be had in the booklet but there are also solids on some of the pages.  Quality, thick paper!  I loved it!

Next step was that I folded in the four corners of my scrapbook paper so that it made a sort of envelope (sorry no picture of this particular step...hopefully you can envision how it looked).  I then unfolded it and lined around the creases with strips of the fun paper, like so:

It was so fun to mix and match the colors on each invitation!

This step was a bit time consuming (in fact this whole project was a bit time consuming. I turned on Grey's Anatomy from episode 1 and thus I made it ok for me to sit watching tv for hours because at least I was being productive!).  I used the first strips I cut as a template for all the other ones which made cutting a bit quicker.  I also used rubber cement, my preferred method of sticking things together, for this whole project.

The next step came after staring at my 6 folded and bordered pieces of paper for quite some time because I was pretty much making this up as I went along.  I had an idea of what I wanted to include in these invitations and I wanted to make them a reminder of the relationship I have shared with each of the women I chose.  

*A quick side note: I have since added a 7th bridesmaid, Michael's sister Kristen, who was the one (with her husband Matt) that introduced Michael and me and was one of our biggest supporters while we were dating.  She (and the rest of my soon-to-be in laws!) makes me feel like such a welcome addition to the family and I am so sorry she didn't get one of these invites!  

The nostalgic side of me is a pretty big one and so I LOVE pictures and knew that had to be a part of this project.  I had lots of fun walking down memory lane picking out pictures of myself and each bridesmaid to include! 

MOH #1, my sister, then and now :) 

At this point I realized I had lots of paper pieces left over from cutting strips so I set to work cutting out hearts to use as fun accents on the invitation.  Because who doesn't love hearts for a wedding?

Two hand cramps later I was rather pleased :)

The next step was to fill my bridesmaids in on what kind of wedding to expect so they could say yes in good conscience, not wondering if they just committed themselves to some kind of crazy themed wedding or a scuba-diving extravaganza or something like that.  I'm kind of a wild card and they would have wondered uneasily in the back of their minds without reassurance.   Lucky for them I'm going more traditional :)  

I got pictures of some bridal parties that had mismatched dresses like what I am going for so that those of my bridal party who do not scour Pinterest all the time would know what I was talking about.  I also got some paint swatches because I am a visual person and like to have all the details in front of me, and I of course assume everyone is just like me.  I added a personal note about why I chose them for my bridesmaid on one of the triangle flaps (tears may have been shed) and wrote out details of what to expect- location, general date, outdoor reception, etc in the center.  This last part was a little boring, as I had to hand-write the details over and over again, but the end product was worth it I think!

The finished product :)

The final step was to fold all the flaps back down and tape it shut, with a little note to open it carefully.  I wrote the addresses on the back and shipped them off!  I liked knowing that I was sending off a bit of happiness to each of the girls on the day it arrived in their mailbox.  Who doesn't like to get mail that isn't bills??  I also didn't tell anyone who my bridal party was before they got these invitations, so it was (mostly) a surprise for them!  

Hope you enjoyed this project!  I'll be doing lots more of these as wedding projects come up for our DIY celebration :)

Thoughts after the Big Question

This is kind of a long one...sorry!  Guess I had more to say than I originally thought :)

I have recently experienced that one day that little girls dream of: the love of my life bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him!  We took a hike in the state park where we first said "I love you" and were forced to take shelter under a tree because of a storm.  He decided that this was a good spot (read: his nerves wouldn't survive much longer) and he popped the question :) We realized the tree was one stump with two separate trunks and it felt like a fairy tale with the rain pouring down around us and such a romantic detail that we couldn't have planned for.

Our tree

Immediately after the big question...the view under our tree :)

Since then it has been the expected happiness in our families and friends and the more unexpected onslaught of negative opinions.  Michael and I only met in January and then started dating in mid-March....we got engaged the day after our 4-month anniversary.

In today's world, this is a very short amount of time to determine whether you want to spend your entire life with someone!  I've heard people tell me that I shouldn't even consider someone until I have lived with them for 2 years.  LIVED with them for 2 years.  That means we should have been dating for any number of months/years before moving in.

I've also heard that I shouldn't marry someone if I've never had sex with them....what if there is no chemistry? (I defer anyone with THAT opinion to this article, compliments of my SIL Steph....and US News: Devout Catholics Have Better Sex, Study Says).

Mostly, though, I just get the raised eyebrows and the "Well, congrats!" while the actual opinion goes unsaid.

I find that these opinions all point to the terrible loneliness that people in this world feel.  I feel that Hollywood rom-coms and romance novels have a big part of the blame- they all paint an unrealistic view of what romance should be and make you feel as though you are settling for less than you deserve if you don't have flowers everyday and a house in the suburbs your first year of marriage.  Then divorce is as easy and acceptable as shopping at the mall, for whatever little reason you can think of.

The other big culprit is pornography.  Its everywhere, even in advertisements, giving both men and women unrealistic views as to what they should expect from their mate.  Humble marriage doesn't stand a chance against these shiny holograms!  Such an attack can only be coordinated by the Enemy; and the Enemy fights hardest against that which is most important!

I understand all the fears, and have of course entertained a few myself.  However, I have something that most people in this day and age have unfortunately deemed archaic and too simple to work: I have faith.

I have faith that even though I don't know everything about Michael, the things I do know give me a pretty good idea of what to expect.  There are things that will come as surprises down the road, and maybe I would find these things out if I lived with him for a couple years before saying yes, but these things won't change the fact that I love this man.  And true love is supposed to be unconditional!  Besides, people change and I feel its a pretty safe bet to say that in 5 years, and again at 10 years, and so on, we will look back on the people we are now and marvel at how different we are.

The point is, if you are meant to be together, you know pretty quick.  If you aren't, any amount of time spent with them beforehand isn't going to change that.

However, just because you are meant for each other doesn't mean its always rainbows and sunshine, but don't let that be an invitation for you to throw in the towel!  It takes work; but I am so confident that its the best...and most rewarding....work I could ever hope for :)

Teacups! And other happenings of the week

Sorry ahead of time if there is a slow loading time... I couldn't resist a bunch of photos for this post :)

I have developed an obsession intense interest in teacups throughout this year.  Not that I didn't like teacups before; its just that once I started really getting into thrifting, I started noticing how amazing and varied the teacup is.  Soon after, I found inspiration for a project I can use lots of teacups for and now I search them out like they are the key to my survival.  In my current room that has three surfaces for putting things on, I have used two whole surfaces just to store my teacups.  I find so many other things in thrift stores that I save in boxes for my future decorating attempts but with these cups I feel I am doing the world an injustice by hiding their pretty flowers and elegant designs.

The Blue Collection

Flower Power

The Crazy One

I find my gaze wandering towards them consistently throughout the day and sometimes get embarrassed to find 10 minutes have gone by with nothing to show for it but a greater fondness for those silly cups.  Then I remember one of my fave quotes by a William Morris: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." And goodness do I find them beautiful!  Useful too, for that matter ;)

All-time favorite thrift store teacup

Just know that this is maybe half of my collection, but feel better for my bank account when you find out that the mass majority have been bought for no more than $4!  Some were 50 cents!  One man's trash...

Ok enough about my teacups.  I've been having a lot of fun in thrift shops these days and have a lot to show for it, but my highlight this week was going to visit Koreshan State Park on the 4th of July with most of my family (missed you Beth!!).  Florida has been trying to make up for its drought status last year by drowning its citizens but the morning of the 4th was gorgeous blue sky and a few hours blessed relief from humidity!  Perfect outing weather :)  With a playground, a bunch of historical buildings, and a lazy hike by a river, there was no shortage of fun...but maybe of water haha.  I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

Me and my man

I loved how they covered a brick in fabric for a doorstop!

Moving on to the next part of the hike

The whole gathering.  If I wasn't busy snapping pictures I might know why they are all gazing in the river.

This one was just too cute.  "Here mom let me get that tied for you."

Thanks for stopping by :)  I have lots of projects that need before and after pictures posted- coming soon!