M and M Wedding

My Hubby is Coming Home!

2009-07-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

My husband (still so weird to say) is coming home today! He has been out of town for a couple of weeks and then is off to Chicago for 3 more. It is only for less than 48 hours but I am super excited!

Our favors are dying...

2009-07-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to have favors that were alive - like fresh flowers or succulents. Fresh flowers weren't really in the budget but I found some great agave plants that I nurtured for months leading up to the wedding. I thought this was even better because I just happen to do research on prehistoric uses of agave in the North American Southwest. (If interested you can watch some of my work featured in a NPR Science Friday video here.)

Agaves bloom only once in their lives and then they die. But the bloom produces dozens of small baby agave plants that keep the generations alive so to speak. I really wanted to translate this idea and had a very romantic notion that our guests would give us back a baby agave once their favor bloomed and we would continually propagate our agaves like we would propagate our love.

Well this is sort of working out but I think the 100+ temps in Phoenix are doing a doozy on our little plants of love. Either that or our friends have black thumbs. I have gotten reports that many agave plants are no longer. I even planted about a half dozen outside our office building on campus where we first met - someday thinking that we would return to them as flourishing adults. But they are on their last legs as well.

Hopefully in 10-15 years we will have some survivors.... I hope this isn't an omen of some sort. Just kidding. It would be nice to be able to get some back, but it will be just as meaningful to reminisce about our wedding day.

Bridal Look

2009-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

To recall here was my inspiration look. And this is what I pulled off:

I loved my dress from Dolly Couture (Seriously check her out if your looking for a short dress - where else can you get a semi-custom dress for < $600). I loved my pearls. And I loved my hair. I went back and forth about the bright fuchsia hair flower instead of something more subtle. In the end I am really happy with the pop of color.

I am not really a girly girl and would nearly go into panic attacks when I would think about all of the primping, plucking, and prodding that needs to be done to get a perfect bridal look. I did my own makeup based on a lesson I got from the ladies at Clinique. Definitely recommend getting a free lesson from a department store makeup counter and spend your money on makeup instead of an expensive application.

What to do next? Photo booth? Grand Entrance? or Reception details?

Our Wedding - Where to get the Goods

2009-06-29T15:48:00.001-07:00

I have had a couple of questions lately about where to get some of the supplies I used for our wedding decor. I thought I would just go ahead and post the details so all could see.

MAP

The map included in our invitations was made by me. I used Adobe Illustrator and printed the file on cardstock at Kinkos.

STATIONARY STAMPS

The stamps I used on the Thank You notes and our Save the Dates is from the Martha Stewart line sold at Michael's Craft Store. It is called Wedding Cake. Isn't it delicious - I sort of want to lick the paper after using this one. Each design is a separate clear stamp that you put on a stamp block (sold separately) in whatever arrangement you want. Worked pretty well but the intricate design didn't always work with embossing powder like I did with the STDs.

CUPCAKE STANDS

The cupcake stands are from Martha Stewart's craft line sold at Walmart. Sense a trend of my design inspiration? I snazzed them up a bit with ribbon and papel picado stands like our theme.

MEXICAN CANDY

I got the Mexican candy from a Mexican Party Store in Phoenix called Dulceria Pico Rico. I didn't actually buy any candy for the candy buffet on-line like many wedding advice sties recommend. I found the on-line stores sold only in ridiculous quantities and Sam's Club along with the Mexican party store had better prices (and no shipping costs). We weren't going for a monochromatic color scheme though and wanted to feature our favorite candies - not just those that would look good. If your looking for candies that you can't normally find in the store the on-line sellers would make more sense.

If interested in knowing any other details just let me know!

Thank you!

2009-06-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

So I don't want to seem ungrateful but it seems like I have been writing thank you notes FOREVER! Somehow this part is not as much fun as making the STDs or Invitations. I think it is because I was using plain jane thank you cards I bought at the store.

DIY thank yous to the rescue to get me through the list! Yes, getting back to DIY will help energize me. I decided to use some left over paper and the stamp supplies I purchased for the STDs. Simple - but much more personal than store bought. Why is it that homemade things (even those that turn out less than perfect) are so much better than some mass produced crap from the store? Now I am having fun writing personal notes of thanks to all of our guests.

So these are my "compromise" DIY thank you notes. I had originally planed on making some cards out of these pictures from our reception with the DIY banner I made a few months before the wedding. But I didn't like most of the options.

Why were we always making out in nearly every picture? I guess it is because we are so in love....

Yum Cupcakes!!

2009-06-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

We knew we wanted something different for our wedding cake. Traditional isn't really us. I know that cupcakes are becoming more and more traditional at weddings and are almost a fad that is likely soon to be replaced by another. But we decided that since we had never been to a wedding with cupcakes it was still different.

We choose to go with Sprinkles. They are amazing!! One drawback of not going with a smaller bakery is that we were limited to the flavor options available for that day - that still was a dozen or more so it was still hard to decide. We could also pick from several dozen special gum paste designs for the top. Of course we choose a saguaro cactus for 2 of the 5 dozen we selected.

I recently read on honey my heart that in LA there is a mobile Sprinkles van that you can rent. What a great after reception treat!!

Review: A+, as you can tell we had some guests that had a hard time choosing what kind.

Candy Buffet!!!

2009-06-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite DIY projects was our candy buffet. Going with our Mexican theme we choose all sorts of treats from south of the border and a few of our favorite American sweats that came in our colors. There is a fabulous Mexican party store in Phoenix that had loads of Mexican candies to choose from including peanuts covered in chilies, caramels, chili lollipops, and coconut treats.

I dressed things up with ribbon, papel picado inspired signs and tissue paper bouquets. A banner saying Gracias and Thank You was hung over the table. We had small white paper bags and stickers with our monogram for guests to take home their treats. It was a real hit and I was surprised how little candy we had left over. It was kinda a disappointment because we had it sitting in our house for weeks - tempting us and were looking forward to digging in! Oh well, we did however have a few extra cupcakes to enjoy. I will share the cake cutting next.

How about some non kissy face pictures...

2009-06-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I was just noticing how many kissy face pictures I was posting. We did actually get some normal photos...

What do you think of our first family portrait?

Biggest Wedding Day Fear: Rain

2009-06-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

My biggest wedding day fear was that it would rain or even be cloudy with the threat of rain. Luckily it was sunny and gorgeous for our outdoor ceremony in Sedona. Why would it rain in Phoenix a few days later. Really there was no reason for me to have anxiety. It rarely rains in April. That is actually why we choose April. But the forecast was not prediction clear conditions. A storm front was moving in Friday and not expected to clear until Sat night. Out reception night. The audacity of the weather to rain on our reception!!

I tried to deny it. I resisted buying a cute umbrella for pictures just in case. I didn't worry about a back up plan or fret about how 75 people could crowd under a little tent to avoid getting wet. Or worry about all of the tissue paper DIY projects would be ruined even if it sprinkled. I didn't worry until about 3:00 when the clouds still were not clear and the hour by hour predicted another downpour at 6. Then I began to freak!!

I would recommend to everyone to have a small ceremony and a reception a couple of days later. We were so relaxed the day of our reception. We slept in and lazily watched TV for most of the day. Until 3:00 when we started getting ready and I had my first Bridezilla moment of the whole process. (Matt would probably disagree and say that I was a Bridezilla throughout the whole process but I would not.) I really regret how I acted throughout the whole thing.

Once we got to the venue I was devastated. Very few of the tables and decorations were even set up because we were all waiting to see if it would continue to downpour. All of the flowers were dripping. A giant puddle was enlarging in front of the bar. The tents were hardly water proof. My hair was fast on it's way to becoming flat. The venue people asked me every 15 minutes if we should move the tables. (They did 3 times - back and forth between tents offering various levels of weather protection). The tissue paper bouquets were bleeding and the banners were hopeless.

The only person I openly freaked out on was Matt for which I deeply regret. In the end all worked out just fine and I feel really silly that I was so upset it was raining. At about 5:45 - right as the guests were arriving - the sun game out and a double rainbow appeared. People said only Melissa would plan to have a rainbow appear at her wedding. Well, I didn't exactly plan it. But it was gorgeous.

Some more advise: Don't freak out if it is raining. Buy a cute umbrella or galoshes. Take it all in. Rain or shine.

After all, it it didn't rain we wouldn't have a picture like this:

Oops. Did I loose time again?

2009-06-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Seriously, it has been 1 month since my last blog post? Well I guess I did get in a bad car accident (I'm okay but did total the car a week before our road trip honeymoon :( but not to fear we got a new one). I am teaching a class and playing academic catch up. And I did need to finally clean the house after neglecting it for months. And there was the 2nd reception to do. But that can't explain my absence.

Maybe Post wedding depression?? Perhaps that is why I have been MIA. All the planning, the DIY, browsing through blogs for inspiration. Does it HAVE to be over already? Everyone talks about all of the buildup to the wedding - but no one talks about after the wedding. What am I to do for fun now?

Maybe getting back to wedding recaps will bring back my wedded bliss.

I am going to ride out this "Just Married" thing for at least a few more months.

May I please have the rings?

2009-05-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

When our officiant said these words I had no idea that just moments before my sister did not have the ring. Matt's dad was carrying my rings and my sister was in charge of Matt's ring for me. Apparently just moments before the rings were needed my sister had to run back to her purse and get the ring which was about 25 feet away causing my mom to nearly have a panic attack wondering what in the world was wrong.

One would think that with only 9 people in attendence at our little ceremony I would have noticed one of the guests running off. But my sister said I was to busy staring into Matt's eyes to notice anything.

We didn't notice a thing, only each other. The rings were there, we delivered our vows, and YEAH we were married!!! The vows we selected were a combination of several different traditional ceremonies. We selected words that would emphasize our equal partnership as best friends.

And of course we sealed it with a kiss. This photo isn't our first kiss but I got carried away in photoshop again and wanted to share.

Photos from David Sunfellow Photography.

Reception Photos are In!

2009-05-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

So excited to get news from Sara at Brides for Brides Photography that our photos from our Fiesta reception are on their way! They turned out great and I wish I had more time to look at them. I have a busy week with school and work so hopefully will get back to regular posting soon.

Until then here is a little teaser from our reception:

Can't wait to share the results of the photo booth! Hilarious!

Getting Married in a Public Place

2009-05-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Matt and I had talked about getting married for nearly a year before the engagement happened. We agreed that Matt would ask me to marry him in a way that he wanted - however, whenever. The only thing that I asked is that it not be 1) in a very public place with dozens of people cheering when I said yes or 2) at the family holiday dinner table. Awkward...

He agreed that this is very cheesy and while it may be for some, not us. In the end he did ask me in a public park but there were no onlookers and it was very private. Why they would we want to get married in a public place? In fact the location we chose is Sedona's number one photographed location. Well because it is gorgeous, outside, and by a stream. Everything we wanted. Okay we also wanted to get married at an archaeological site but this may have been an overkill way to incorporate our personalities.

We chose to get married on a Thursday at sunset to hopefully avoid any crowds. We actually visited the spot a year before about a hour before our scheduled ceremony. The location was very quiet and peaceful. The only people included a family with a naked toddler swimming the in creek. We thought we would be fine if there was just a single family around but hope they all would be fully clothed. We were also working with a wedding coordinator, Weddings in Sedona. They said they couldn't reserve the spot we selected for our ceremony because it was a public place but they do talk to the other planners and make sure there are not to many ceremonies vying for the same spot.

Well, when we arrived to the location we discover how public our public place really was. Matt arrived first and I came with my parents a few minutes later with my parent's after we got ready at the hotel. One of the first things Matt said was that he had already seen 2 other brides and lots of people dressed up to go to a wedding. "What?" I had hoped they were not planning on our spot across the creek! I didn't car if there were people around enjoying the scenery, I really didn't want to get married a few yards from another bride and groom. Luckily we didn't see them until after our ceremony when they came to take pictures and we all let out a huge "yeah for marriage" yell.

But there were plenty of people enjoying their Sedona vacation. Many more than we thought would be around. As we walked to our ceremony spot we encountered all sorts of people and there must have been 20-30 additional onlookers during the ceremony. I didn't actually notice any of them at the time. I was so concentrated on Matt, not falling in the stream, and WE WERE GETTING MARRIED!!! It wasn't until the end of the ceremony when I realized all of the clapping was from more than just our 7 family members. We were taking pictures, they were taking pictures, everyone was watching and I am sure played in Japan when some tour group is showing video of their vacation.

Click to enlarge and read captions.

Was it ideal to have a bunch of strangers witness our ceremony? No, it was a little weird. But it was also sort of neat to see how happy everybody was for us. How intense some of the kids watched us and the foreigners smiled and nodded as we passed them on the trail. It is kinda cool to see how a wedding can make everyone so happy, even those people we had never even met.

Our photographer did a great job of setting up the photos so the people were in them or photoshoped some of them out. People were really courteous and we sort of felt bad because we were taking over all of the good photography spots and there were a couple of photographers waiting to take some senior portraits. They got in a huge fight over who got to go next even though they both were there before us. It is amazing how no one will bother you if it is a wedding. Once in a lifetime really means get out of their way.

Photos from David Sunfellow Photography.

Photoshop Fun

2009-05-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

The best thing about getting digital copies from the photograph is that it gives me a good excuse to finally learn some neat tricks in Photoshop.

I saw this post on WeddingBee by Miss Gloss a few months back about Photoshop actions and knew I wanted to try them out. The actions are avialable for free download from The Pioneer Woman here and here.

It took me a little bit of searching on the internet to figure out how to load and run the actions into photoshop but for the most part they are really easy to use. When each action is run a dozen or so windows pop up where you can change the options. Since I am a "beginner" with this program and didn't really know what they were I just went with the defaults and waited to see what happened. As The Pioneer Woman states not all actions will look good with every type of photo but I think things turned out pretty well and I am excited to continue playing around.

Here are some examples of what I did. The original photo:

Soft and Faded

Heartland

Seventies

Sunshine

Vintage

Ceremony: Walking Down the Aisle

2009-05-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

As my brother often says, Matt and I are not necessarily a traditional couple. We knew that we wanted our wedding to be outside, the more isolated the better. Fearing our family would not be willing to take a several mile hike or an adventure jeep ride to get to the wedding we settled on a spot about 500 meters from the car but full of beautiful Sedona scenery. We mentioned the crossing of the creek after we eased them into the idea we were not getting married in a church...

Here are a few shots of us "walking down the aisle" to our ceremony spot. Watch out over the next few weeks. We got our photo CD and I am not afraid to use it...

All photos from David Sunfellow Photography.

Yipee!! The photos are in the mail!

2009-04-29T12:56:00.001-07:00

I just got an email that our photos from our ceremony in Sedona are in the mail! So exciting! They are also posted on Pictage so I have been resisting the temptation to go through them for the bizzilionth time.

I am also excited to see so many. We did a package deal through a Weddings in Sedona planning service and knew that we were guaranteed at least 80 digital pics. We got over 300 from a great photographer David Sunfellow. Now will come the challenge of what do to with them all!

Any ideas? What do you recommend as the best way to display photos? We were thinking of printing just a few for frames and making a Blurb book.

Review: Dyeable Shoes

2009-04-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

My shoes initially looked like this

Even after taking them off for the walk across the stream to get to our ceremony spot

they got wet in the rain before our reception and now look like this:

In case you haven't been following I searched for turquoise shoes for months and finally settled on some dyeable flats from David's Bridal.
Not to fear! I had a back up pair of fuschia flip flops I got for $3 at Target in case I couldn't find anything else.

Warning! If there is any possibility that you or your bridesmaids will be walking outside in dyeable shoes - don't do it. I knew this was going to happen even if it didn't rain. But I really wanted this color and wasn't willing to settle. People have told me that even if you barely walk in grass that may be damp the color will run. Either give in and get something else, keep looking, or have backups.

In the end I think we got some great photos of my blue shoes and kinda liked wearing the flip flops during our reception.

Ring Bowl Love

2009-04-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

One of the best finds I have found in the wedding blog world was the discovery of Paloma's Nest Ring Bowls via Etsy. I have seen them featured on nearly all of my favorite wedding blogs at least once so I knew that I had to have one as a wedding present to myself.

We didn't have it done to carry our rings for our ceremony but do think that it would have been a cute idea. Instead we both plan on using it to hold our rings on the nightstand.

I would recommend a ring bowl to anyone. It also comes with the beautiful packaging. I love the simplicity!

Something Borrowed...

2009-04-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

In all of the pre-wedding frenzy I forgot to post about my something borrowed. I previously posted about my something old, something new, and something blue.

For my something borrowed I went the practical route rather than sentimental and borrowed a fuchsia satin clutch from a friend because it matched the color of my hairflower.

I used it to hold my make-up and toothbrush. I had a horrible cold with a runny nose and cough the week of the wedding so this clutch came in handy to hold Kleenex. Luckily my cold stayed at bay I didn't need to use any during the ceremony or the entire reception.

What was/is your something borrowed?

We are hitched!

2009-04-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah we are married!!!

The entire week was just wonderful. Our ceremony in Sedona was much more than I could of asked for and our reception in Phoenix was so much fun and exactly what we wanted. My mom said the photos from the ceremony spot didn't even look real, like we were standing in front of a backdrop.

Unfortunately it was raining all day Saturday before the reception. In the last 100 years it averages <1 day with rain for the entire month of April, go figure. Although we thought we were in the clear it continued to rain again around 5 for another 45 minutes. This was during our photos and the set up. The caterer's moved the tables and chairs 3 times! But just as the guests were arriving the sky opened to sunshine and a double rainbow appeared. It was gorgeous! Several of our friends including my dissertation advisor said that only Melissa and Matt would have a wedding with a rainbow. I don't know if this is good luck but we will take it as a blessing of our marriage.

I am back to the real world and need to catch up on many things. But here are a few photos my brother took from our amazing wedding weekend.

Thank You Blogoshpere!

2009-04-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is the big day! Matt and I are both super excited and ready to begin the next chapter in our lives together.

I wanted to extend a big thank you to all of the friends, family, brides, and newlyweds that have checked in on this little blog over the last year. I have truly enjoyed sharing this journey and appreciate all of the advice and well wishes. I originally started this blog to share my ideas with my mom and mother in law and it has grown into something larger. I knew nothing about blogs and certainly had no idea of the enormous amount of inspiration and advice out there in the virtual world of wedding blogs. The wedding planning experience has certainly benefited thanks to this experience.

Thursday night is our ceremony at Red Rock Crossing in Sedona followed by a small dinner with our family. Friday is our "welcome happy hour" for out of town guests and close friends at one of our favorite spots (and will be our first outing as husband and wife!). Finally Saturday is our Fiesta Reception in Phoenix.

Don't worry I wont disappear from the blogosphere. We have another reception in May to plan and there are still lots of DIY projects I never posted. As well as recaps of all of our events! I am sure I will be "wedding obsessed" as Matt likes to say for a few more months but I am looking forward to transitioning this blog to newlywed life - full of the other things that I do (crafting, cooking, traveling, etc.)

Happy Easter and I will see you when I am a Mrs!

Cool Find of the Week

2009-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

How fabulous is this idea? I saw it here from Offbeat Bride.

Not only did the bride rock an awesome red wedding dress but the wedding had tons of creative ideas. Here are thier words about the cutout:

" We blew our parents' wedding photos up to life size, cut out the faces, and put them on stands like a carnival photo opp. We got a Polaroid camera and asked guests to pose in the cut-outs and write a message to us on the photo (or take their own on their digital photos)."

So wish I would have seen this a few months ago.

Kid's Wedding Activity Book

2009-04-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Apparently I just can't stop with the DIY projects. I made an activity book for our little quests at our Fiesta themed reception this Saturday. I was already planning to do an activity book for our hometown reception in May where there will be a half dozen or so little cousins running around. Doing it now allowed me to test out some ideas (and well you know, procrastinate of course).

The project was really simple. I pulled together some images and printed them out on some cardstock leftover from our invitations. I scored the pages down the center then used a hole punch and some more left over ribbon to secure the pages. And Voila!

I used images from the web such as those found here. I also found some great ideas from this post on Bridal Buds. You can download a word document and print it out as is after changing the names or play around with some of the images like I did. Many people include word searches or crosswords. Out lil' quests are all <7 so we didn't include anything but coloring pages. I will include little bundles of colors for them to use at the party or to take home and color later.

What are you doing for the lil' quests?

Show me a sign!

2009-04-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of the final DIY projects. Only a few more days to go!!!

I blogged a few months ago about how we are trying to reuse several items we already have or only buy new things that we can use after the wedding as a way to be more ecofriendly. I finished up all of the signs for the Fiesta reception using frames we already have as well as left over paper from the invitations. This was also very budget friendly in addition to being green!

The Buffet Menu:

The Bar Menu:

The Candy Table:

Something Blue...

2009-04-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

My shoes are my something blue.

A great shade of dark turquoise or teal or peacock. Or you can just call them blue. A simple ballet-esque flat shoe.

It took me FOREVER to find the right shoes to wear. The dress was also an ordeal but the shoes were a nightmare. I am not necessarily 100% in love with them but I swear I looked everywhere and although going barefoot was appealing I needed to do something.

I ended up getting them at David's Bridal. First off let me say that I despise this store. It is sort of like Walmart. You may hate what they stand for but since they have managed to take over every corner of the globe you can't help but find yourself inside thinking your getting a great deal at the expense of customer service. After ordering nearly a half dozen pairs of shoes on-line, looking in every store in town, and hours surfing the web I found myself heading inside to the big DB.

I had heard of several horror stories from fellow blogging brides about DB and I myself had 2 less than polite encounters when trying to find a dress. But I went in anyway. And low and behold I found a pair - the right price, comfy fit, and really cheap dying price ($3). So I ordered a pair and waited 4 weeks (!!!) to pick them up after they were dyed.

I really didn't want to go the dyeable route but I was set on this color and had no luck elsewhere. After I picked them up I REALLY wish I hadn't gone the dyeable route. I stood there in disbelief over how sloppy they were. Not only was there all sorts of dye on the bottom sole but there were at least 5 spots where the origional satin was visible. Because of all of the slop over on the sole the seam between the sole and the shoe had a striped appearance. I asked to see a manager and explained that I at least wanted the white satin covered up and the mess on the sole should be an even mess if the slopover with the dye was unavoidable. She sent them back to the "dye girl" (her words, not mine) immediately. They came out in about 10 minutes and she said they should dry and blend.

Anyway I am sure no one is still reading but I let them dry for a few days and they looked like they had water marks on the bottom and were absolutely horrible. I called DB prepared to be stern to demand that they redye a new pair right this time. I was sort of freaking out because the wedding was just 11 days away at this point and barefoot seemed like it was no longer a choice. But the phone call was very easy and the manager remembered my issue and said they would dye a new pair and have them ready for me the next day. Good. I was very relieved and despite having to wait 20 minutes for the sales girl to find them, they were ready the next day.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend going with dyeable shoes, but if you have your heart set on a specific color it opens up alot more styles. DB is much cheaper than getting a custom color dye. My seamstresses salon charges $30 for a custom color match. So maybe I got what I paid for. Despite generally rude experiences with salespeople and the sloppy "dye girl" I don't think DB is as bad as the corporate wedding evil giant I originally thought. The manager was very helpful and willing to make things right with very little effort. Any hey, sometimes going to the corporate giant makes shopping a little easier or at least they have some selection.

Did anyone else have a difficult time with their wedding day attire? Either with finding it or getting it right?

Real Wedding Inspiration - Florals

2009-04-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Check out these amazing flowers from a wedding recently featured on the Bride's Cafe.

The colors are gorgeous and I love the hanging arrangements.
I am not sure but it looks like the arrangements have mint. Even if these don't mint would be a fabulous addition. Mint leaves have such great texture in addition to the scent.

Hair Trial

2009-03-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

All of you other brides put me to shame. Just a week and a half away til W-Day and I have just made all of the hair arrangements. I went in for a short consultation yesterday and I got a quick 10 minute hair trial. Not paying for a full trial allowed me to get a sense of the style and still afford appointments for both the ceremony and reception 2 days later. Besides since I wasn't interested in an updo a full trial isn't really necessary. The day of will look very similar but with more product to make it last. Just what I wanted - loose natural curls with bangs swept to the side.

We also played around a little with the hair flower and I think I decided to place it just behind the ear. Since I am wearing pearl studs I think I will leave the flower as is and not add a pearl or rinestone in the center. This is also me sans makeup which gives me hope that I won't look half bad.

Won't we look cute!! So excited. Today we are officially in the single digit countdown. Yeah!!!

And the award goes to...

2009-03-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

The lovely Dana over at Once a Bride gave me this award. She just recently launched her own wedding and event design company, Revel and Bloom, and I wish her luck!

I must tell you 7 things I love.

1. My fiance of course

2. Traveling

3. Friday nights in

4. Happy Hour specials

5. The internet

6. Crafting

7. Antique shopping

Thanks so much Dana. I have fallen horribly behind on my blog reading, which should also be on the list :) so I am not going to pass along to anyone specific. Instead I pass it along to all of my followers. Thanks to those who recently joined! I have some more free time this week so I will be catching up to see how you all have been Kreativ.

Kids at the Wedding

2009-03-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that we have 2 kids coming to our Fiesta Wedding reception. Okay, so I know it is not that many but I really wanted some kids to come. They always seem to lighten the mood. And well I am not going to lie, I had big ideas for some kid centric DIY projects and if no kids were coming it would seem silly to do the projects. I plan on making some sort of gift bag for our two special short friends that includes some activity books and crayons and not sure what else....

What do you think about these activity books from We Met in a Bar. Didn't she do a fabulous job!

At our hometown reception in Nebraska this May there will be plenty of kids. I will have to use this idea then as well. Since it is a backyard reception I was also thinking of getting some bubbles or setting up a special small table covered in butcher paper for them to go wild coloring.

Any other ideas for little quests?

The 411 on Gift Delivery

2009-03-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

While continuing to procrastinate I found the following info about Wedding Gift Etiquite from Emily Post.

"... Generally, wedding gifts should be delivered to the bride's home or to the home of her parents before the wedding, addressed to the bride. When gifts are sent after the wedding, they are sent to the couple at their new address. When a couple is living together before the wedding, gifts are either sent to them at their home address or to the bride's parents if they are hosting the wedding. In some areas and cultures, it is customary to bring the gift to the wedding reception rather than deliver it ahead of time."

I quess the "some areas and cultures" includes Midwesterners who prefer to tote thier gifts to the reception.

The link also contains some good info about gift etiquite. But I say etiquite smetiquite. I am just thankful for any gifts at all. To our guests: bring it however you want. We are glad you are thinking of us.

Gift Table?

2009-03-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

I love doing the blogger poll gadget. I like seeing what the "popular" ideas are about a wedding subject but not so sure how I feel when I disagree. (Meaning the whole dancing is fun thing - seriously?). Anyway I was procrastinating again thinking about what to do for a new one when I remembered a wedding etiquette discussion among some friends.

photo from here

What do you do with the gift? Some feel that it is rude and tacky to bring it to the reception to display on a gift table. While others didn't understand how else you should get it to the couple and that a classic wedding picture is always of the gift table.

So I ask my readers. How do you prefer to deliver your gift? I set up a poll on the right.

It would also be great to get some comments about the idea of a gift table. Where do you put it, decorate it, photograph it, who do you get to take care of it when the reception is over, etc.

It has officially taken over the house...

2009-03-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

Someday I will have a room like this:

from Martha Stewart

instead of this:

Seriously all of the wedding stuff is taking over our house. Did I also mention that I am trying to write a dissertation in the same room? Well I am. And I am always trying to look for a distraction which the wedding projects are right there to tempt me. Last week when I was having a mental block I made mr and mrs signs for our reception chairs. On one hand I love doing DIY projects but I have to admit it is also a welcome distraction from that giant thing I need to eventually get around to finishing.

Awh... someday I will have a craft room that Martha would appreciate. And hopefully enjoy it as a PhD.

And maybe I will invite her over for dinner. But that would mean I have to clean this off first.

She would not approve of this mess.

Is your wedding stuff taking over your life???

Another DIY Hair Accessory Pic

2009-03-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Once I posted the picture of my DIY hair accessory I wasn't happy. Our house is such a dungeon the pictures looked very dark and hard to tell the color. Anyway, her is a slightly better one. The flower is definitely a bright fuchsia and the feather a turquoise - out 2 main wedding colors. I was thinking also that instead of the rinestone button I should probably go with something pearl because I will be wearing a pearl necklace. Oh it is so hard to be consistent...

I would love to hear any thoughts!

DIY Hair Accessory

2009-03-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is my current hair inspiration. Long with a slight curl, sides back secured with a hair flower and the bangs swept off the face.

photo from Snippet and Ink

I am planning to DIY my own hair flower to complete the look but I need some help deciding what to do. I had great intentions for this project including cutting and layering ivory organza and lace. But am running out of time with less than 4 weeks to go. So more of a semi-homemade style hair accessory it is. Sandra Lee would be so proud.

I got a fuchsia colored flower at Target on clearance for only $4. Since I am not afraid of color and was excited to see it in one of our main colors I went for it. The photos aren't the greatest, sorry. So the question now is which semi-homemade version do I go with.

Version 1: The flower as is. It has an alligator clip on the back and is easy to wear.

Version 2: The flower with the addition of rhinestone button.

Version 3: The flower with rhinestone button and a turquoise feather. I didn't cut the feather yet so the photo wouldn't be the final version.

Version 4: The flower and the feather (not pictured).

So which should I do??

Colorful Colors

2009-03-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

So I know that 3 week before the wedding isn't probably the best time to "finalize" the color palette but it wasn't until all of the DIY projects were wrapped up and the final purchases were made that our colors became clear. I have been stressing a little over the colors and beginning to wonder if it will look like a giant pinata blew up all over the reception venue. To recap we wanted to have a Mexican themed wedding inspired by our engagement trip through central Mexico, our food choice of Mexican, and our desire to have bright, fun decor. Well, bright and fun it surely will be but will it also be tacky?

Our colors: turquoise, fuchsia, lemon, orange, lime, and plum.

My color worries were reassured when I saw a couple of posts on one of my favorite wedding inspiration blogs, The Rizy Bee Blog. She has been posting several wedding color trends and low and behold her banner for this series is our wedding colors!

So seeing this and hearing Matt say that "I was being very consistent with the wedding decor" while I was making the cupcake stands got me thinking. Who cares if it will look like a pinata blew up. We WANT it to look like a pinata blew up. Sure, an elegant black and white color palette may be great for some. But we are more of a pinata kinda style. And who cares if there are at least 5 different shades of fuchsia? My mother will notice but she along with everyone else will hold their tongues because it will be our day and everything is turning out exactly how we wanted it.

I also wanted to share some photos of what inspired our theme and colors. All of the photos are from our engagement trip to Oaxaca and Mexico City including a few places in between.

My friend Shannon in so talented and I had to share some of her Mexico photos. She says she doesn't do anything special - Mexico is just that gorgeous. I also think that a digital SLR helps. I just love the turquoise door and the cityscape of Guanajuato.

What inspired your colors?

Something New...

2009-03-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

My "something new" is a pearl necklace and pair of earrings. A gift from my parents.

I guess my dress and undergarments are also new. This is probably the easiest to take care of. But I need some ideas for "something borrowed"....

A few bride's had some great ideas for "something old" including pinning parent's wedding rings to the inside of their dress or tying onto their bouquet. Great ideas and very clever. Keep the ideas coming!

Something Old...

2009-03-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

My "something old" is my engagement ring. It is a vintage ring from the 1920's.

One of my favorite engagement photos.

What are you wearing as your "something old"?

Colorful Ladies

2009-03-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

Since we are having a small, intimate ceremony we decided not to have a wedding party. To make our 7 family members in attendence feel like an extra special part of our day I got all of the ladies each a colorful pashmina in our wedding colors. These are for my mom, Matt's mom, my sister, and sister-in-law.

I asked them to wear something of their choice in black to go with the colorful scarves. I had wanted this present to be a secret until I gave it to them along with a special note - but I am horrible at making decisions. So I had to get their help in deciding which of the colors to get. This was better in the end so then they could choose their favorite.

I think we will look something like this come wedding day.

From Mrs. Pinneapple on Wedding Bee.

I had thought about getting the 3 men something special to wear to the ceremony. But then I realized that with our particular guys they might appreciate something other than clothing/accessories more.

What special gifts are you getting for your special guests?

Legal Action Has Been Taken...

2009-03-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

and we now have our Marriage License! We traveled down to downtown Phoenix yesterday and forked over the nearly $100 to get the document to make everything official.

Notice the weird background in the photo? We posed in front of some strange urban graffiti of snowman. That is right. Graffiti of snowman in the desert.

Only 4 more weeks to go! It is strange, I feel like we must be forgetting something because I am not running around stressed out like everyone keeps assuming I am. There are still some things to do, (priority 1: get a haircut and figure out wedding day make-up, as this photo clearly points out is necessary) but I feel like there is plenty of time to get it all completed.

Anyone feeling stressed as W-Day approaches?

Photobooth Additions

2009-03-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't these be great to add to our Photobooth props?

from Etsy seller Something's Hiding In Here

But they are a little out of our budget. Luckily I found these great mustaches for only $1.99. They kinda go with our Mexican theme. Don't you think?

Matt looks great showing off some of our props. I can't wait to see what people come up with in our booth!

Favorite Bride and Groom Photos

2009-03-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

I was preparing a list of must have photos for our photographer and it got me thinking about my favorite type of bride and groom photos. So naturally looking for some way to procrastinate with a purpose I made this collage on Polyvore.

Favorite Bride and Groom Photos - by M and M Wedding on Polyvore.com

I think this group of photos says two things about the types of photos I hope we get: whimsical and detail shots. I love the photos of the couple on the swing. Since there is no swing at our venue we will have to make up our own whimsy. I love all of the detail shots - the close ups of the boutonniere, bouquet, and hand holding. Not to mention the shoes! I can't wait to get some great shots of our feet with the bottom detail of my dress.

I also love this collection of bride and groom shots.

from Style Me Pretty
I love when one of the pair is standing behind the other doing something silly.

Our photographer, Brides for Brides Photography, is amazing and I am sure Sara will do a great job capturing out wedding.

Photobooth

2009-03-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

I spoke with our photographer the other day. We discussed how we are going to turn this:

Gazzebbo from our venue

into this:

from Spencer Boerup Photography

from Molly Vaden Photography

from Calla Evans Photography

from Julia Williams Photography

from Pelaz Photgraphy

I have a bunch of props already - feather boas, fake mustaches, a sombrero, and other misc. things. I still need to get a sheet or piece of fabric to hang. I am super excitted about this project and can't wait to see the restults.

Anyone else doing a photobooth? What sort of props are you including?

5 weeks from today...

2009-03-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

... we are getting married!!

Wedding Day is fast approaching. Now if "normal life" would just stop happening we could make some progress on the planning. I was hit hard this week with Bronchitis, a sinus infection, and an ear infection which left me unable to do anything for several days. Seriously, I couldn't even do any blog reading let alone wedding related tasks or even the massive amounts of school work I need to get done before the wedding. But I am on the mend. Yesterday I was feeling better - not enough to do any much needed writing - but enough to return shoes, get some supplies and finish the candy table sign. I am afraid a few projects will be left unstarted. I have made peace with it and not even going to mention what they were because no one would even miss them. But overall making progress and it is exciting to see so many RSVPs returned.

Major Wedding tasks still to do:

Dress fitting - Friday may be my last??
Shoes - got plan, now just need to purchase
Invitation for Friday Toast and Roast for out of towners - since we will already be married we can't really call it a rehearsal
Purchase Candy
Make appointments for hair/makeup - narrowed down timeline so now can proceed
Finish Papel Picado - about half done
Get photo lists to photographer
Purchase rest of alcohol
Pack up all stuff that needs to be delivered to venue
Keep up with Thank You notes

and probably a dozen or so other tasks...

Amazing Bouquet and Flower Alternatives

2009-03-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

I am a little afraid that my bouquet and Matt's boutonniere will not last from our ceremony on Thursday to our reception on Saturday. Times running a little short but these flower alternatives would be great options to make sure that we have flowers for both our events.

This bride made these fabulous beaded flowers.

from Martha Stewart Weddings

Maybe Etsy has some less "involved" options.

I love the idea of clay flowers.

from Midoridesigns

or perhaps a felt and button themed arrangement ...

from Princess Lasertron on Wedding Bee Pro also on Etsy

It is likely that if our flowers fall apart we will run out and DIY a new arrangement - or use some of the tissue paper flower arrangements which would be more fitting for our theme. But I do want to keep in mind these other ideas for upcoming projects. The more I look at Princess Lasertron's work I fall more and more in love with it! She is also from Nebraska which makes me love her more and more.

Real Wedding Inspiration

2009-02-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

You know I love weddings with color. Check out this amazing Scottish wedding shot by Lillian and Leanard Wedding Photography. See more here.

I don't know what I love more, her dress or the yellow and fuchsia tissue paper pop poms. Absolutely gorgeous!

More Cake Love

2009-02-24T07:57:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend my fabulous friends had a bridal shower and bachelorette party for me. It was great fun. One of the best parts was the cake my friend Steph made.

She was inspired by the Mexican flags from our invitations and I think she did a great job! She also designed, in cahoots with Matt, an NPR inspired Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me bridal shower quiz. Instead it was called Mate, Mate, Don't Tell Me and luckily I won the prize of our dissertation committee member's voice on our home answering machine. This may sound like a lame prize but if you knew us or him it would be hilarious.

Luckily the gals didn't do to much to embarrass me. Although I did sport around a "veil" later in the night.

Cool Find of the Week

2009-02-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't this make and unusual and amazing wedding cake?

Imagine a gorgeous all white tiered cake covered in fondant. With detailed piping and maybe even some white sanding sugar to make it sparkle. And once cut the amazing bright colorful center is exposed! I think it would make for amazing photos and cause everyone to be surprised.

You wouldn't have to go all out for the Rainbow theme. Doing just a few of the wedding colors would also be great.

All photos and cake tutorial from the fabulous Hostess with the Mostess

More Wedding Comics

2009-02-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

I posted the comics leading up to these here.

From PhD Comics.

This last one is particularly funny because we had just finished writing out vows before we saw this. I wonder if we should include some of this wording...

Blog Award

2009-02-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you Jess from Project: 10K Wedding for this Lova Ya award!

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”!

In no particular order, I'm passing this on to:

Krista @ Canadian Bride
Blablover5 @ Introverted Wife
Jeana @ My Dream Ring (thanks for the giveaway!)
Jenny @ Happily Ever After
honey my heart
jessica @ Mason Jar Bride
jemmessica @ Wedding Peephole
Hannah Noel @ That Engaged Girl

DIY Project: Cupcake Stands

2009-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Continuing with the DIY projects....

I turned this cupcake stand from Martha Stewart Celebrate products sold at Walmart

photo from here.

into these for our Sprinkles cupcakes:

The stands are really affordable (only $7.88 each). I didn't use the included paper garland as shown in the photo above. I used my favorite edge punches from Martha Stewart (you sense an obsession with her?) to make mini papel picado banners that I used on the invites, and some ribbon in our colors.

A quick review comment: Don't be fooled by the photo. The edges of the cardboard are not white but rather unfinished brown cardboard. It probably was fine but I thought it was unsightly so I painted the edges white to match.

I also made matching signs to point out the different kinds of cupcakes. I was going to pick the top 3 from the blog quiz I posted for our final flavor selections. I know that the quiz is officially on-going but I needed to get this off the list so went ahead with what currently was in the lead (which also was what we wanted anyway). My choice was Chocolate Marshmallow, Matt's choice was Chocolate Peanut Butter, and the blogosphere's choices were Red Velvet, Coconut, and Vanilla Milk Chocolate.

Yummy!

The signs were simple. I used leftover cardstock from the invitations, the Martha Stewart Crafts edge punches, and the Avery sticker labels.

The stands should hold about 4 dozen and we can reuse for the Nebraska Dessert Reception. But what to do about the 5th dozen? The reception venue has some trays we can use and since I am running out of steam this may be what happens. Normally I would care that I have no idea what they look like and freak out that they probably won't match. But I am in a new zen-bride kinda mood and going to let what happens happen.

Anyone else having cupcakes? What flavors?

An Omen?

2009-02-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

One of the coolest things from my Bridal Shower in December was to have the guests write a piece of advice for me on a piece of card stock. My sister-in-law came up with this idea instead of a guestbook. She read some of the advice cards - many of which were quite funny. One of my favorites was from a friend of my Mom's. She said when your husband asks how much it costs reply "less than $1,000" and if it costs more than that, say nothing.

My mom took the assignment a little differently and wrote her wishes for me rather than advice. This is what she wrote:

Just notice the P.S. statement. We have talked for years about taking a trip to Italy together. I know that she would love everything about it.

Well the other day I got this in the mail.

I won it on a contest from Weddingbee. Perhaps the universe is telling me something?

Don't worry Mom. I will take you to Italy someday. But first I want to take a honeymoon trip with Matt.

DIY Project: Agave Favors

2009-02-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

You may not be asking for wedding advice, but I am going to give it.

DO NOT try to grow your own wedding centerpieces or favors!

Unless of course you have a green thumb - which apparently I do not. I have previously posted about the pots with small agave plants that I am using to decorate the reception tables. Afterward the guests can take home and plant as a favor. I have really enjoyed this project but think I have killed at least half of the plants. There was a horrific storm a few months ago and my lack of attention caused many casualties. Not to fear because I have recently "obtained" some more small agaves with the help of some covert graduate students, long gardening sheers, and a recently bloomed agave plant on the ASU campus (thanks ladies!).

Recently I finished the signs that will go with each pot.

On the back of the sign I adhered a Thank You note and directions on how to care for the plant using the Avery sticker labels. Each sign is made from a colorful Lotteria cards (a popular Mexican bingo-type game) and a Popsicle stick. So even if I kill the rest of the agaves I will have something to display.

Another great thing about the lotteria cards is that our quests can learn Spainish while they enjoy a Mexican dinner!

Want an Inspiration Board?

2009-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

Well your in luck because a small town bride is giving a custom board away to celebrate her 100th post! Enter here before Friday. Be sure to check out her blog as well, she has some really great ideas (not to mention some fabulous wedding shoes that I wish fit me!)

Blog Changes

2009-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

I have been doing some blog changes. I updated my favorite blog lists and finally got around to posting a blog banner inspired by our wedding theme. If you have my blog listed on your page and I don't have yours listed here, let me know - at the very least I want to redo the shout out.

I also added a new quiz. Let me know what you think about dancing at a wedding reception. We are not huge fans of dancing so weren't going to have it formally organized. We want to just let it happen organically if people feel the mood to boogie. We get some weird raised eyebrows when we say this. So I thought I would throw it out to the blogosphere to get some feedback.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentines!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it is because it is Valentine's Day or if I am just so in love, but I am obsessed with having all heart shaped desserts at our reception in Nebraska. Here are just a few of my latest inspirations:

All heart shaped maybe just a little overkill. Maybe I will settle for these Conversation Heart Cookies.

all photos from Martha Stewart

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dress Fitting Success!

2009-02-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

I had my second fitting this afternoon with my dress but it was the first time I had it on. Make sense? Probably not. If you have been following along, I got my dress a little over a month ago in the mail but was unable to fully put it on because the zipper was broken. To make a long story short there was a forgivable zipper mix up at the factory. All is taken care of and my local seamstress is amazing.

When I went to the seamstress the zipper was replaced and I was able to wear it properly for the first time and have fallen in love with it all over again. I am so relieved!!! and excited to wear it. There are still a few necessary alterations before it is finished. Amazingly it needs to be taken in (yeah Wii Fit Yoga). Unfortunately I didn't get any non-blurry shots of me in the dress but since people have been asking here is a little teaser of it hanging in the dressing room.

I want to take it home so that I can stare at it. But unfortunately I will have to wait a few more weeks. Is that creepy? Anyone else weirdly obsessed with their dress?

Invitations Are Out!

2009-02-12T14:30:00.001-08:00

We finally got the invitations in the mail!! But after some delays because of a few days of constant rain (yes, it does rain in the desert) and not wanting to risk get the invitations soaked. For those of you we see on a regular basis - don't worry - we will hand deliver as soon as we see you.

Here is a shoot of the different labels we made using Martha Stewart's craft punches and the amazing Avery labels I talked about in an earlier post.

My favorite is the Doily Lace punch bought from Walmart (pictured on the bottom). Michael's Craft Stores also has the punches from Martha Stewart and the store seems to get new ones everyday. I wish we would have gotten this Valentine Lace punch before we did the labels.

The best thing about being available at Michael's is their 40% off coupons. I have one in my purse and maybe this weekend I will have to get this punch. Or this Mini-heart punch.

Tough decision.

Signature Drink

2009-02-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere that a good signature drink incorporates something from the couple's past with the "theme" of their wedding. Following that tradition we are incorporating

prickly pear syrup (from the ubiquitous prickly pear cacti in Arizona where we met and live)
+ Tequila (from our Mexican Fiesta theme and engagement site of Mexico)
= a Prickly Pear Margarita

photo from Martha Stewart

Unfortunately our reception site doesn't allow for frozen margarita machines but I have sampled many a prickly pear margarita on the rocks and it is just as good.

I am sure everyone is familiar with a margarita. A prickly pear margarita is the same but with the addition of prickly pear fruit juice or syrup (added sweetners). Prickly pear cacti found throughout the Southwest produce the most wonderful bright pink or fuchsia fruit in the spring after flowering. Added bonus of matching our wedding colors!

photos from Wikipedia

In the markets of Mexico and some grocery stores in the US you can find the fruit for sale. I tried to extract the juice from a fruit once and only got about 2 Tbls. Definately not a DIY project to make sufficient quantities of juice. We went to the pros and ordered a gallon of prickly pear syrup to combine with margarita mix for the reception. The recipie is simple - just add 2 oz. of syrup for every 8 oz. of margarita mix. Add lime wedge and enjoy!

photo mine

But what do we call it on the bar menu? Just 'Prickly Pear Margarita'? It seems that good signature drinks also have clever names.

Any ideas?

Real Wedding Inspiration

2009-02-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

I just love this wedding! I saw it recently featured on Wedding Bee Pro by Megan @ Princess Lasertron. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop, Princess Lasertron. She makes amazing custom bouquets and boutiners out of felt and vintage buttons. If we didn't already have this taken care of, I would totally think about getting these custom made in our colors.

All photos from Austin and Cassandra Huck.

Isn't her dress cute? Not to mention her shoes! I am pretty sure it is the "Pasadena" from Dolly Couture. The same designer as my short vintage inspired dress.

And how fabulous would a reception in a bowling alley be? I sort of wish we would have checked out bowling alleys and skating rinks as reception options.

Anyone having a reception in a quirky location like this couple?

Just Married Signs and Getaway Cars

2009-02-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else see this post featureing Just Married Signs from Ritzy Bee today? It gave me some inspiration on how to use our Just Married Sign.

I just love this one:
Aw... now I want to rent a cute convertible.

This brings me to a wedding etiquette question. Who decorates the bride and grooms car? I am not sure this is something we necessarily want but I am not sure of tradition here. It is probably something that the wedding party does. Hmmm, but we aren't having attendants.

Anyway, I just love these ideas from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Cool Find of the Week

2009-02-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

All grad student geeks like me are probably familiar with PhD comics. PhD Comics reminds grad students of their "life (or lack thier of) in Academia." The last couple of weeks have featured an ongoing storyline of grad student wedding. These comics hit close to home so I thought I would share.

Click to enlarge comics.

Original here.

Yep, academic departments are pretty incestuous. Matt and I are both in an archaeology graduate program. For awhile we shared an office but now we are just 63 steps away (yes, I have counted). It is nice to walk to work and have lunch with my guy.

Original here.

So we didn't get that technical with our budget, but I do have all of our wedding budget and to-do lists in a relational database. And yes we can relate to a ramen budget.

Original here.

Yup, did anyone read my rants about social and environmentally conscious wedding decisions.

Original here.

Yeah, sometimes I feel like this is pretty much the case. We both are trying to write our dissertations as well as plan a wedding. Normal life doesn't stop.

Anyone seen other fun wedding comics?

Best Wedding Product Ever

2009-02-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it really isn't intending for weddings and I am sure there are tons of other "best wedding products" out there. But for a DIY bride like me you can't live with out these:

They are 8 1/2 x 11" stickers that you can feed through your laser printer. I think that Avery also makes some for Ink Jet printers as well. It is only about $13 for a pack of 25 sheets and are avaiable at Office Max and Staples. They are intended for shipping labels but can work for som many other things. Maybe they are not as cool as having a Xyron Sticker Maker but I feel they work just a good, if not better, and more economical. The sticker is very thick and easy to work with.

I have been printing labels galore and cutting them down to whatever size and shape I need. I have used several craft punches like pictured below to keep consistent with our papel picado banner theme. These are way easier to use than printing something out on paper and then gluing/taping to another piece of paper. It is also much more secure. For some earlier projects I did without the stickers, I had problems with the corners sticking down, etc.

From Martha Stewart Crafts at Walmart.

I originally got the labels to make our invitation address labels to go on our black envelopes. They worked like a charm. Matt did all of the printing, punching, and adhereing to the envelopes.

I have found many more uses for them and they will pop up in a couple of more DIY projects I will feature over the next few weeks.

I have found that searching the aisles of office supply stores has provided me with several shortcuts for my wedding decor. Craft stores are great of course, but the office supply stores also have products you can make work for your DIY projects. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.

Anyone found their own "best wedding product ever' and want to share?

DIY Project: Thank You Sign

2009-02-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

Inspired by these:

From here.

I decided to make this:

In keeping with our papel picado banner decor I made a little flag for each letter. It was a really easy project. I printed out the letters using the same font as our STDs and Invitations. I worked out the number of banners so that the back side could say this:

I am not sure if I will print Thank You's with the sign picture but wanted to have a couple just in case. I plan on using pics with the Just Married sign in a wedding announcement card to other family and friends who can not make our celebrations. Hopefully our pics will be super cute!

DIY Project: Paper Flowers

2009-02-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

For our Mexican themed Fiesta reception, I wanted to create several arrangements of paper flowers. Paper flowers are a big part of Mexican decor and are a great budget friendly way to add color and a handmade touch. Paper flowers were also an interactive element of our Save the Date announcements. I am going to ask a couple of people to bring their paper flowers to the Fiesta so that I can scrapbook them with their guest book advice entries. What do you think - a good idea or would it seem tacky?

Here are some simple instructions for DIY paper flowers:

Step 1: Cut squares of tissue. For smaller flowers I used 4 x 4 inch squares and 4-5 sheets per flower. For larger I used as large as 8 x 8 squares and 6 sheets. The more sheets, the fuller the flower but the harder it will be to separate the petals. For some of my flowers I added a smaller piece of tissue in an alternative color to create different flower centers.

Step 2: Stack sheets and fold like an accordion fan. 1" folds works well. Smaller flowers, use smaller folds.Step 3: Cut the edges of the fan for your desired flower shape. I used a couple different shapes to add different textures to my arrangement such as rounded (pictured), V-shape, and a deep V-shape.

Step 4: Secure the center of the folded fan. I used floral wire cut to 8 inches to create the "stem" of the flower.

Step 5: Fan out the fold on each side of the secured center. You will want to pull apart the folds down to the base of the flower. The better you separate the folds at this step the fuller and rounder the final flower.

Step 6: Pull the petals apart towards the center. Separating one layer at a time.

Step 7: "Fluff" and reshape petals to the desired look. The tissue is incredibly moldable so don't be afraid to pull and place where you want it. Sometimes I found that the two sides of the flowers were separated. To fix it I used a double sided piece of tap at the flower base to secure the two sides together.

Step 8: Arrange flowers. This is no different than arranging real flowers. I did use more double sided tape at the flower bases to get them to stick together. In some places of the arrangement you could see the stems and hiding pieces of tape gave the arrangement a fuller look with no holes.

I made 4 different arrangements to go on our Sweet Treats table. In keeping with my goals to reduce, reuse, and recycle the wedding decor, I used turquoise and purple drinking glasses as the vases that I will later reuse in the kitchen.

I must give a plug to an inexpensive paper flower kit from Martha Stewart Crafts. I learned a few other flower shapes from this kit that I won't explain here. She has a couple of ideas for other more complicated flower shapes. I don't know if my patience was wearing thin or if I am not ready to graduate to complex crafts, but mine didn't look as good so I stuck to the versions above.

Cool Find of the Week

2009-02-05T13:47:00.001-08:00

This Valentine's Day idea from How About Orange was so cute I had to share.

original post here

Wouldn't this be great to add some pizazz to wedding invitations, thank-yous, or favors? Easy, budget friendly, and totally adorable.

Eeek!!!! Only 8 weeks to go!!!!

2009-02-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that wedding day is almost here! Although it is still a little scary how much there is left to do. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Seriously reading other bridal blogs makes me feel like such a slacker. And they also give me tons of inspiration so the list keeps getting longer. ;)

Here is a quick rundown of the major projects left to complete:

Send Invites - done but need to get stamps
Matt's suit - purchasing this weekend
Load up ipod with Music for Fiesta reception
Finish Papel Picado Banners
Purchase Candy/dried fruit and make labels for Sweet Treats table
Finalize where, when of hair and make-up
Purchase accessories and decide on what to do about hair flower
Finalize a few other DIY projects including menus, signs, and photobooth

Hey, this list isn't that bad. Now if I just didn't also have dissertation grants to write, a book chapter to finish, a major report to submit, and two conferences to go to...

Stay tuned because I have been a DIY wedding fool lately and have several posts planed about our projects. What would you like to see first - paper flowers, photo albums, or cupcake stands?

2009-02-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for this sweet lemony blog award! I was presented with it by the lovely Jenn from With This Ring, Cyd from The Sweetest Occasion, and Jessica from Mason Jar Bride. I love each of these blogs and was very excited to receive the award. Thanks ladies!

Here are the official rules of the game...

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude.

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award.

I am going to buck the trend and not nominate anyone officially. However all of the blogs listed on the right on my blog roll are fabulous and if you haven't already - you should check them out.

Instead I am asking for new blogs to add to my daily reads. Or at least new to me blogs. Anyone have a favorite or want to share info about their own blog that may not be on my list? Please post the link and consider yourself nominated. For sharing I will show great attitude and gratitude!

I think I found them!

2009-02-03T20:48:00.000-08:00

I don't want to jinx it, but I think I found my shoes! I really owe the blogosphere for this great find. I first saw them posted on Classicly Modern and then All You Need is Love. So I headed over to Amazon.com and snatched them up. Unfortunately, based on what these lovely ladies said I am a little worried about the fit. But I am not worried about the price. I used my Amazon credit card rewards so the cost was $0.

I hope these work because I have also come to think that some sort of a ballet flats would be best for several reasons.
1) I don't usually wear heals and don't think wedding day is the time to try it out (although peep toe pumps are sooo cute! wait a minute- is this really me saying this?)

and 2) I will be to walk over this stream to get to our ceremony site and really don't want to fall in the water!!

Photo from our ceremony planner - Weddings in Sedona.

The shoe saga continues....

Suggary Goodness!

2009-02-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

Amy Atlas has done it again. Check out this winter wonderland dessert bar featured yesterday on Style Me Pretty as well as her blog.

I would really love to have the marshmallows like the bottom right photo on our candy buffet and hometown dessert reception. Martha had a recipe in the latest Weddings Magazine. Maybe I will give it a try and do similar toothpick flags.

Another option is to go for Marshmallow Peeps. I absolutely love Peeps - they are my favorite thing. I am not a huge fan of the yellow and pink chicks but love the white ones, especially the vanilla flavored hearts that come out around Valentines Day. I also think they would be fun since I and some of Matt's friends call him Peeps which is a play on his last name. But they are not for everyone and I find that you either love 'em or hate 'em.

These pink heart pairs might be an option.
I like these because they are wrapped in pairs whereas others come in packages of 4 or 9. One thing that I know about Peeps is that you don't want to expose to the air for too long, otherwise they become a rock hard mess.

I wonder if I could repackage to look a little classier...

Shoe Dilemma Take Two

2009-02-02T09:53:00.001-08:00

Thanks for all of the great advice about shoes. I got some great ideas.

Jeana from My Dream Ring suggested I look at like.com. This was a new site for me and is great because you an search by color as well as style, etc. Although they didn't seem to search many stores... Anyway I found a few more contenders. Unfortunately none in turquoise/teal.

Jessica Simpson Ceasar- but not in my size :(
Charles by Charles Pendant Pump
Caparros Vincente II Satin Pump
Cole Haan Air Elly Patent Wedge

Mootsies Tootsies Trusty Retouched - perfect but no turquoise or fuchsia!!!

My future mother-in-law reminded me that heals of any size might be be the best things since we are getting married outside and have to embark on a short hike to get there - over a stream as well. And honestly who am I kidding. I wear Teva sandles everyday. Thinking flats or something like the wedge shoes above might be better.

The search continues....

Shoe Dilemma

2009-02-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

Since I am wearing a short dress I think that shoes will be key and really set the tone for my look. I have been dreaming about a fabulous peep toe in turquoise or a darker teal. I would even go with a flat ballet slipper if it was the right color. Something like these would be almost perfect:

Nine West Julia Rea shoe
no longer available :(

Charles by Charles Women's Tux Peep Toe

But they are no longer available. :(

I am having a hard time finding what I want. For months I have window shopped and spend countless hours on-line. Every time I find a style I like, it either doesn't come in my size or not in the color I want. Since I am completely frustrated I might even consider going fuchsia. Such as these:Fuchsia Satin Peep Toe from Nordstrom

I might even have to go the dyeable route. I sort of wanted to avoid this. I did have high hopes for the new Lela Rose Dyeable shoes at Payless. The price is right but I found thier >3.5 inch heals a little out of my comfort range. And they seem like they are only about a half inch wide.

Any suggestions? Where can you find comfortable and stylish dyeable shoes? or turquoise satin fabric (no patent leather - yuck) peep toe pumps?

Cool Find of the Week

2009-01-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

We have been looking for a wedding band to go with my vintage e-ring and came across this:

Photo from here.

A little, um how do I say - bold for me. But would be fun since we have started speaking Spanish to each other since getting engaged in Mexico. Although I think I would regret this immensely later.

Anyone have "unconventional" wedding rings?

Great Contest!

2009-01-29T07:56:00.000-08:00

Right now there is a great contest over at Southern Weddings to win a free map design and 10 free totes from the famed Laura Hooper. Her maps are amazing and this would be a great contest to win!
Seeing these adorable totes got me thinking. I wonder how I could turn the map I created for our invitations into a tote (see below)? Or perhaps print it on a mug or a coaster? Maybe a mousepad? With sites like CafePress the options are limitless.

But perhaps I am taking the wedding memorabilia a little too far....

More Hair Clips

2009-01-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

Oh the torture. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I MUST decide on a hair accessory. Ok, really I have no trouble sleeping or eating but the inspiration keeps getting better and better and I don't know what to do! Maybe I will just start wearing a fancy hair clip everyday....

My latest inspirations:

Photos from LaBohemme Etsy shop.

I love the vintage clips in the center and the turquoise colors. I went to the craft store this weekend to buy supplies for my DIY hair clip project. Only $13 for a bunch of stuff - most of which I will likely return. Otherwise it would be the gaudiest clip ever if I use it all. But I am not sure I can get a look like these above or like this or these.
Any tips for a DIY version?

Tagged - I'm It!

2009-01-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

Rachel tagged me with a new questionnaire. I love random facts - yeah!!

Here are the rules:

THE RULES:
Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people will be tagged.

Make a list of things you can see without getting up: computer, GPS, maps, and piles of paper and books - I am at my office procrastinating :)

What were you like when you were five? Causious and very worried. Apparently I cried everyday in kindergarten when the teacher would leave for 5 minutes to prepare snack. My mother tells me this but I think it is a lie.

What are you wearing now? Blue jeans and a flowery, frilly blouse in my attempt to dress up and give a lecture to an undergrad class today.

What color is your bedroom? White with a glossy finish. Why can't renters paint?

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? Omnivore's Dilemma and I am never eating beef again.

Do you nap a lot? Unfortunately yes. Although I call it resting my eyes.

Who was the last person you hugged? Matt

What’s your current obsession/addiction? Wedding DIY projects.

What was the last thing you said aloud? "You live and you learn" to a friend who just got robbed with no renters insurance.

What websites do you always visit when you go online? Email, Facebook, and blogs I follow.

What was the last thing you bought? Lunch, sandwich of course.

What are you listening to right now? A very loud air duct. Was that supposed to mean music?

What movie are (or were!) you most excited to show your kids? Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Wallee.

If you could have any super power, what would it be? Running really fast.

What is your favorite weather, and why? Fall with a crisp breeze but the sun is shining - like today in Phoenix.

What time do you usually get up? 8:00

What is your most challenging goal right now? Keeping up with working out 7 days a week.

Say something to the person who tagged you: Rachel - I wish I lived in Texas and could go flee market shopping with you!

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? Oh, a tough one. I would say Santa Fe, New Mexico. Or possibly San Antonio or Tucson.

Favorite vacation spot? Vacation? When do I get to take one of those?

What is your favorite children’s book? Ramona Quimby books

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: Any sort of bread stuffed with cheese like a calazone.

If you could meet anyone famous - dead or alive - who would it be? Leonardo DaVinci

If you could have any job in the world , what would it be? Antique store owner or buyer.

I am tagging:
Cyd from The Sweetest Occasion
Jenn from With this ring...
Adrienne from The Love of Weddings
Niclole from Nicole and Jesse
Once a Bride
Hannah from that (engaged) girl
Jess from Project Wedding
Brenn from Where Preepy Meets Hippee

Raspberry Love

2009-01-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of days Style Me Pretty has featured a Raspberry Shabby Chic Inspiration Board Contest. Gorgeous! Can I change our theme please? To late for us but there are my favorites: here and here. The winner will receive $500 so be sure to pick out your favorite.

I didn't enter but was inspired to create my own...

Raspberry Love - by M and M Wedding on Polyvore.com

click on the photo to see credits

Ooh La La!

2009-01-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Yeah for award season! I love movies and TV so I love Jan/Feb and all of the award shows. The fashion is also fun and this year white gowns are definitely a trend. And there are some pretty styles and colors for bridesmaids as well. Here are some of my favorites from the SAG Awards. Anyone have a favorite?

All photos from Access Hollyw ood.

Rosario Dawson in what would be a gorgeous look for an Old Hollywood themed wedding.
Ooh, I wish I was a red head. Christina Hendricks gown is gorgeous in red and would also be a very romantic gown in white.If it came in a shorter version, Laura Linney's dress would make a cute bridesmaid dress.Claire Danes with great hair and makeup.

Anne Hathaway as a Grecian goddess.

Terri Hatcher - loving the one shoulder gown trend.

Cool Find of the Week

2009-01-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

Etsy sellers have done it again.

I saw this post on the Bride's Cafe featuring some amazing photography and seller's from Etsy and was instantly in love with this picture. I am thinking that this would be a great way to do my hair with this type of hair piece. The hairpiece is from Etsy seller g.q. designs. It is a little out of my price range but thinking it would be worth it. My dress has a similar neckline, although has a larger bow made of gorgeous ivory lace. I was thinking a bow would clash with a flower in the hair but based on this photo I think I like the combination. And after seeing this I am on a search for pearls.

Photos from here and here.

Also I am totally in love with my dress and it is on the way to being fixed. I am very thankful to Dolly Couture for making a gorgeous dress and taking care of the zipper situation. (Apperently there was a mixup with some of thier zippers and they have graciously remided the situation. Things happen and all is good.) Alterations are also in progress so the waistline issue I was halving should be taken care of. I will post some photos soon!

More E-Ring Photos... But Better

2009-01-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

I am very thankful to Sabrina from The Introverted Wife for using her awesome Photoshop skills to clean up our e-ring photos. You can see all of here work here. She is also looking to work her magic on some other ring photos. If anyone has some you should check out her blog.

The left is my original pic and the right is cleaned up.

click to enlarge.

One of my M&M pics was featured on the Weddingbee blog. They had been doing some really great tutorials and features of ring shots over the past month. Some additional great inspiration.

Surviving the Bridal Show

2009-01-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago I attended my first bridal show. I had read some tips on attending the Phoenix Bridal Show from the helpful Sarah from The Wedding Hub but I wished I would have followed it beforehand! Her advice is general to any show and after attending I can see now that she knew what she was talking about.

First of all - bring labels with your information. I don't know how many times I wrote out my name and address.

Second - definitely set up a separate email account to deal with vendor inquiries. I had just filled out cards for the things that I was interested in hearing more about. But somehow (I think with registration) my email got on everyone's list and even though it is about 2 weeks later I still get about 10 emails a day from various vendors. Hard to sort out from my actual vendors that I need to read.

Third - This wasn't on Sarah's list but I would say skip the show if you already have your vendors in place. If I were just starting the process this would have been a great place to start to get an idea of what is out there and what the costs are of various services. Since we are less than 3 months away I really just went to get some new ideas. That didn't really happen - my time might have been better spent browsing wedding blogs for inspiration! The show was really Wedding Industry Complex (WIC) overload!

One of the best resources at the show were free copies of Arizona Weddings, Arizona Finest Wedding Si tes and Services, and Arizona Bride. I have picked these up at a bridal salon before but think it is great for getting local ideas about vendors. The national magazines are great for inspiration but don't really let you in on what is available locally. These mags list pricing info, websites, and phone numbers of venues, photographers, rehearsal dinner locations- you name it, it is in there. I would recommend to anyone beginning to plan their wedding to find something similar for your local area.

Anyone else have advice for surviving the Bridal Show?

Welcome Obama Family!!

2009-01-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

Yeah America! It was so exciting to watch the inauguration festivities today and I am so excited for America's new direction. I certainly wouldn't want to be putting the country back together right now but have faith that President Obama can to it!

Photo from US Weekly

How gorgeous did Michelle Obama look in this dress? I just loved how he asked "how good does my wife look?" when they walked out onto the stage at the Neighborhood Ball. You can tell how supportive and in love they are, what a marriage inspiration. I hope that after today's jam packed schedule of celebration the Obama's get to relax like they did after their wedding. See this post for their adorable wedding pic.

Inspiration Eye Candy

2009-01-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

It is a gorgeous day here in Phoenix. I am glad I am not freezing with the rest of the country. Since is feels like spring out here even though it is Jan I made a Spring Inspired board. I love fuchsia and paired with lime. So bright and sunny.

Lime and Fuchsia by M and M Wedding

Anyone using either of these colors?

Check it out...

2009-01-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

Everyone should head over to Once a Bride to check out her recent Flower Inspiration Boards. She made a purple inspiration for me! There is also a great set of red flowers - I wonder what she will do next? She also has some great tips for flowers on a budget, advice every bride needs.

More E-Ring Photos

2009-01-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the recent tweaking of the Relentless Bride's e-ring photos by the Introverted Wife, and all of the e-ring posts on Wedding Bee I decided to take a shoot at some artsy pics of our rings.

The top photos are my ring in our agave favors and centerpieces. And of course since we are M&M we have to get a few shots of our rings with them. I think I will put both of these types of pics on our list for the photographer. I will leave it to the pros.

Thanks to everyone for the reassurance about my dress saga. Meeting with a seamstress later this week. On a more positive note, we met with the venue and caterer to finalize the menu, centerpieces and linens yesterday. The price was $400 less than our initial quote. How often does that happen?

... It's Here

2009-01-16T23:14:00.000-08:00

I picked up my very special package with my custom order dress this morning from the post office. Not sure if I want to talk about it yet. It is gorgeous. Just what I wanted- a lace, vintage inspired tea length dress.
However it doesn't fit, the "waist" is hitting me on my "hips". And I broke the zipper. I have had basically the worst night ever. I suppose everyone has a few bridal breakdowns now and then. Mine just all seem to be over the stupid dress. I can't help but keep thinking that it doesn't matter if we have the cutest invitations ever, or an awesome signature drink, or even thoughtful welcome bags if I look like a hot mess come wedding day.

Matt has done a great job calming me down and I am sure the dress can be altered.

Anyone else not having things quite go their way lately?

Project Reuse Ex. 4: E-Ring, Part II

2009-01-15T17:31:00.001-08:00

First off I should apologize for being a Debbie Downer with my post yesterday about the high environmental and social cost of gold. This blog is intended to be inspirational and fun and not scolding people and showcasing my own guilt for desiring gold and diamonds. Hopefully these few posts can be inspirational for others to choose more ethical jewelry options.

Anyway as promised here is a photo of my e-ring. I absolutely love it! It is an antique from the 1920s in the Art Deco style. I really wanted an antique ring because I am an archaeologist and love old things and also because I have romantic dreams of having a vintage ring passed down in our family some day. Although it will have to be after I am gone because I am not taking this one off.
I also really wanted an antique ring because it is the ultimate in reuse and recycling. Matt purchased the ring himself after I showed him a few pics of what I liked. I am a simple girl so I wanted a simple ring - but something with a little pizazz (i.e. the filigree visible in the ring profile) but not too much. I wanted something that looked like an e-ring but didn't have a huge honkin' solitaire. He wanted to replace the diamond and purchased an Arkansas diamond because in addition to recycling the gold we wanted a conflict free stone.

With every choice there are tradeoffs, pros and cons. So hopefully our ring choice is a more sustainable option than a new purchase and we have done a little more to make our wedding a little greener.

This is also my 100th post. I think it is very fitting that it is about my engagemnet ring, it is what started our wedding process and hence this blog. Today also happens to be the anniversary of our 1st date. Aah, how momentous.

I am a Lazy Blogger.. But Fabulous Blogger?

2009-01-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

First of all I must apologize for not posting this sooner. I had a draft written weeks ago and am finally getting with the program. I actually thought I did post it already but doing some blog house keeping and realized I hadn't. I guess it was for a reason because I discovered today I was tagged again.

I have been tagged by Krista from the blog "Canadian Bride" and also from Jenny at "And she's is rambling again" blog because they think I'm fabulous. Well maybe not me, but at least my blog :) Thanks so much ladies! I also think your blogs are fabulous! I am glad to know that someone reads this. It means a lot.

So hear goes...Rules - List 5 Obsessions/Addictions that you have, and tag back to the person(s) that gave you the award. Post the rules and tag and additional 5 people.

1. The Internet. What did we do without the internet. Email, blogs, Facebook = fun for me. Maybe this is why I will never finish my dissertation?

2. Traveling, planning a trip, and thinking about a trip. I have spent some time in Europe, the Middle East and Mexico so next I would like to tackle southeast Asia or South America.

3. Food. Maybe I should say Culinary Adventures. I love to read recipes and try new ingredients. Although trying new restaurants is also an obsession. I also really love to combine my obsession of traveling and food. I dream about witting street food travel guides.

4. Crafting. I love make things, especially paper things. I go through different crafting obsessions. For awhile it was scrap booking, jewelry, cards, ceramics, etc. So a DIY wedding is perfect! I think when the wedding is over I will turn this blog into a crafting blog... or maybe I will start and Etsy store.

5. My Wedding Dress. I feel incredibly vain for saying this but I think it just may be the most fabulous thing ever. I hope every bride past, present, and future feels as happy as I do about their dress. Talk to me in a week after I actually get my dress to see if I feel the same way... I hope so.

I tag:
a backyard wedding
Once a Bride
The Wedding Hub by Sarah Hubbell
How About Orange
Oh So Beautiful Paper

Project Reuse: Ex. 4 The E-Ring, Part I

2009-01-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

For most couples I imagine one of the biggest expenses are the engagement and wedding rings. What couples may not think about is that their rings may also be a huge environmental expense. I am returning to the Project Reuse posts this week to highlight another way we are trying to make our wedding environmentally friendly. I heard and interesting podcast about the high environmental and social cost of gold mining which reminded me of another reason why I love my e-ring. My ring is an antique and fits our REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE wedding mentality.The podcast was from Fresh Air on NPR featuring the author and photographer of the most recent National Geographic cover story about the real price of GOLD. When discussing wedding jewelry it seems that diamonds get all of the attention - both as the shinny stars of the rings as as the culprits of many of the social and environmental problems of the jewelry industry.

I taught a class last year in which the students had to document the total environmental and social impact of an everyday item. One of the students turned in an essay about her e-ring and was quite proud that they choose a conflict-free diamond . A wise choice for sure but when I asked her wear the gold for the ring came from and if she considered the impact of this in her purchase. I could see her heart sank as she admitted she had not and in her research for the paper discovered all sorts of reasons why gold mining can also be just as destructive. Wedding resources have all sorts of info about conflict free and eco friendly diamonds, but there is less awareness about the high environmental, social, and health costs of gold.

Photo from National Geographic.

That is why I thought the National Geographic piece was so interesting and had to share. I won't go into the details other than to post this from Brook Larmer's article:

" Rough hands attend to the delicate work of pressing excess mercury from gold extracted at an illegal mining operation in Kalimantan, Indonesia. A vast amount of mercury—at least 30 percent of the world total—is used by small-scale miners to process gold. When handled without safety equipment, the toxic metal can be absorbed into the bloodstream or lungs, causing serious damage. Tests performed by the Global Mercury Project, an initiative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Global Environment Facility, revealed that mercury levels in the bodies of miners in parts of Indonesia are several hundred times higher than is generally considered safe."

So, what are we supposed to do? Diamond mining supports war and civil unrest, gold strips open earth and causes horrible health problems. Workers in these industries are often make pennies a day while the fat cats get rich.

We thought long and hard about weather or not to even go the traditional diamond e-ring route given our desire to avoid supporting such practices. Perhaps a glass ring? or not even a ring at all - possibly a necklace... Argh, still jewelry with precious metal and stone = still same problems.

Ring from Etsy seller

I think it must be something so ingrained in our American culture that I couldn't do anything too non-traditional. (Although I commend any couples out there who do! Kuddos!). I won't geek out and explain the Anthropological theories that explain this type of prestige economic institutions and just end it here.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to be environmentally and socially conscious with their wedding rings? Tomorrow I will share more about what we did...

It's Coming...

2009-01-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

I received and email this morning that my dress is ready to be shipped. (Insert squeal of excitement here!!!) Then I opened Facebook and saw a picture!! (Insert another squeal of excitement followed by tears I was so happy!!!) I think I will work from home this week and wait by the door...If anyone is friends with Dolly Thicke of Dolly Couture on Facebook you can see a pic in the Custom Library Album.

Cool Find of the Week

2009-01-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

So I have known about longed for the adorable ring bowls from Paloma's Nest. I just love the simple, elegant look and think they would make an excellent wedding keepsake.

Well today while browsing through the site and noticed all sorts of new goodies - and just in time for Valentines Day.

click to enlarge photos

I love the milagro heart seen in the "Treasure" bag and ceramic designs above. And the new natural wood designs. Cool indeed.

One Year Ago Today...

2009-01-08T20:56:00.001-08:00

... Matt and I got engaged. Okay, it was actually 364 days ago. I am posting early because Matt and I are headed up to Zuni, NM early in the morning to purchase his wedding band. Matt does archaeology in the Zuni area and they make amazingly beautiful silver jewelry. A Zuni ring is what we want for him as it holds alot of symbology for us. He was actually living there for a semester last year before we took our trip to Mexico (what turned out to be our engagement trip) and was sort of the reason this post is not called One and a half years ago today...

Matt asked me to marry him on the last night of our 3 week Christmas trip to Mexico. We were in Parque Mexico in Mexico City and it couldn't of been more perfect. Matt had purchased my ring about 5 months earlier. I couldn't believe he could wait so long!! But in hindsight I am glad he waited. I was studying for my comprehensive exams (i.e. extreamly stressed and crabby) and then he temporarily moved to New Mexico and decided to wait for our big trip. My ring is an antique from the 1920's and I absolutely love it!

I won't divulge any of the cheesy details of the actual proposal but will share a funny part of the evening. As soon as we left our park bench a stray dog came over and peed right on it. I hope that isn't symbolic of anything to come...

Cool Find of the Week

2009-01-08T14:45:00.001-08:00

The week before New Year's is my favorite time of the year. No, not because I am still chowing down on Christmas goodies but because everywhere you turn there is a Year's Best of something and everything countdown. I am a girl who loves to reminisce...

I was so busy this year I missed out on watching, reading, and even writing my own Best of 2008 list. But recently I did come across this slideshow of the Best 2008 We dding Images from the Best Wedding Photographers from Junebug Weddings.

Here are two of my favorites:I obviously love these because of the whimsical vibe of the wedding couples. And of course I love the short, sassy dress from the top.

I know the bottom image is also featured on the cover of the recently released Southern Weddings Magazine (how could you not of seen this one if you read wedding blogs), but where have I seen the top image before? I know it is familiar. If anyone knows, tell me because I would love to see more from this wedding.

Up or Down?

2009-01-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

I am trying to finalize where, when and how I will get ready for the Wedding Ceremony and Fiesta Reception 2 days later. I don't have many skills when it comes to hair and make-up so planing a splurge and seeking out the professionals. I think I have the where and when in order but am asking for some advice on the how.

Hair up or down? I created this inspiration board using Bridal Canvas (like my favorite Polyvore - only just wedding related photos).

I am trying to grow out my hair and right now it is just below my shoulders. When I cut it this summer I thought I would have plenty of time to grow it out long but now am a little worried. I also currently have bangs but am making the commitment not to trim them in case I need/want longer bangs for the wedding do.

I have previously talked about some sort of flower or feather hair accessory, this is still in the works but should I incorporate it with a loose and natural looking up-do? or long flowy loose locks with just the sides pulled up? I think this kind of accessory would work with either hair style but knowing how I want the hair will help me decide on how large or small of an accessory to get.
Any suggestions?

Name Change

2009-01-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

So I decided to change the name of this blog. It is still M and M Wedding but the URL has changed to get rid of our last names. Dumb choice to have our last names so blatantly plastered on the web anyway. I hope this doesn't mean that the few (but loyal) followers I have can still find it.

To make up for any confusion- how about some eye candy in the form of an inspiration board I created for our Wedding Fiesta.

The board does not quite have the feel of what we have planned but the ring is almost a dead ringer (hee, hee) of mine, the STDs are what I tried to recreate, and the banners on the cake are similar to the papel picado banners I have been making for the decor.

Shower Fun

2009-01-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

While home for Christmas my sister-in-law and mom's friends hosted a bridal shower for me. I am so thankful for the wonderful party and must share some of the great memories. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive to have a shower. I remember when we gave my sister-in-law a shower several years ago "hazing" was sort of the point. Also, showers tend to get um.. inappropriate at times. Also I hate the whole part when the guest of honor opens presents in front of a room full of people starting at them. Weird, right?

But this was a Midwestern bridal shower with most of the quests my mother's friends. Therefore it was miles away from the "shower" my friends back in AZ keep threatening, I mean offering, to host.

The party was at a small local winery (yes there are winery's open in Nebraska in the dead of winter - I was surprised too). The room was beautiful and we decorated with our engagement photos and plenty of other decor in our colors. This particular vineyard was not yet making thier own wine (take at least 5 years for vines to mature) but we did sample a few bottles of other local NE wines.

My sister-in-law did an amazing job creating a really cool Bride Bingo game. She made up these cute cards for each guest (and some for me to scrapbook :)). Notice the background? It is one of our engagement photos with Matt down on one knee. The game included questions that she had sent Matt to answer. They included the typical shower questions to see how well (or not well) we know each other. Since many of the guests have never met Matt it was a good way for them to find out more about us as a couple. The guests had multiple choice answers - but I had to answer blind. For every question I got right I could put a little star on Matt's photo. The star was supposed to represent "his starry eyes"...

I did okay on answering the questions. But was no ace. Anticipating this game, I tried to brush up on my M&M history. Where we met - check. First date - check. Date of engagement - check. What would Matt say was the food I can't live without? Chilli rellenos - wrong, I said cheese. Matt's favorite junk food? French Fries - wrong, I said chocolate covered peanuts. What would Matt say was my favorite movie? Jungle Book - wrong, I have never even seen Jungle Book so not sure where that came from.

I really needed to get back on track. It was sort of embarrassing. Then came a series of other questions. What was your most embarrassing moment in front of Matt? I definitely know this one. It was a few years ago when I bought him the Neil Diamond CD instead of the Neal Young CD for Christmas. I don't know who either performer is but Matt was sure to let me know that Neil Young is no Neil Diamond. In the end I think I only got about half of them right. But Matt also got a few wrong in his answers as well. Doesn't really matter. I always say we know each other better than we do ourselves.

The rest of the shower was filled with eating (it was around the holidays after all), chatting, and of course the present opening. I don't want to sound unappreciative of the gifts. It is really nice to receive gifts and appreciate the time, effort, and expense people go to. But why do they have to be opened in front of people. It just seems to put the focus on material gifts received rather than the people. I propose that we as society change this tradition and do something to embarrass the guests by asking their spouses questions about how well they know each other instead. Now that would be a fun party.
I owe a big thanks to all of the hard work my sister-in-law did with the game and hosting. Also I am thankful for my Mom's good friends for making some great food. If you were able to make it - I really enjoyed seeing you there. If you were not able to come - you were missed.

More Cool Color Inspiration

2009-01-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

I noticed that photos from the new Martha Stewart Weddings magazine were on-line today so I thought I would share some of the great ideas in this issue and how I would like to incorporate them. The major color palette presented in this issue is pink, yellow, and orange. Based on this inspiration board I made on Polyvore I am obviously a big fan of these colors:

Fuchsia and Orange Wedding by M and M Wedding

Our color palette takes it a step further by brightening up these shades and adding turquoise, lime, and purple.

Sweet Treats: I am in love with these marshmallows! I have always wanted to try to make homemade marshmallows (my favorite sweet treat). I am hoping they are not time consuming and we can make them for the dessert reception in NE.

Hair Clips: These hair clips are so cute I might just have to make some for everyday use! Wouldn't these be great for flower girls? Next time I am at the craft store I will have to check out the flower section. Perhaps there is some sort of turquoise flower I can make a hair clip with for my ensemble...

Placecards: These simple, yet colorful placecards almost make me want to have seating at our reception. I love paper crafts of all sorts and a board with the seating assignments is the one thing I am not tackling. Hmm... we will see how much time there is to add another DIY project.

Ring Pillow: I love this idea for an easy to sew ring pillow. It gave me an idea to make either a ring pillow or a handkerchief out of an old shirt for my "something old". Stay tuned to see what I made...

Colorful Candles: I am not a big fan of candles- especially the smelly kind. But I absolutely love this table scape. The candles really do look like they are floating. Perhaps I could do this for a party someday...

Cool Find of the Week

2009-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

Argh! I have had quite the week and excited to be home and back to blogging. This is a particular triumph because earlier today I was catching up on some internet surfing when suddenly I was attacked by a computer virus. Never have I encountered such an unrelentless horrific cyber attack. Matt (have I mentioned before how much I love him?) spent at least 6 hours non-stop working on it. This was quite the feat because he is no novice with working with technology. As my panic began to increase he regained control and I am back to business.

And I am also back to sharing a Cool Find of the Week. This week's find goes to the new Martha Stewart Wedding magazine. This issue is so jammed packed full of great ideas it should be my Cool Find of the Month. MSW is always amazing but this issue is the best yet in my opinion.This issue is devoted to color - my personal wedding trend favorite. I have listed some of the best ideas I am thinking about how to incorporate.

1) Stylish colorful shoes at an affordable price designed by Lela Rose will soon be available at Payless
2) Super fun reception food ideas including marshmallows, sorbets, fizzy citrus drinks, and fluffy cotton candy. These would all be great at the dessert reception!

3) Adorable doily flagsphoto from the magazine pg. 230

4) Pink and Orange color palette
and
5) Adorable bow boutonnieres

Custom Map How To

2008-12-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

So for those who know me it is no secret that I love maps. I collect antique maps, dream of someday wallpapering my craft room in maps, and my dissertation research is centered around maps. Therefore I wanted to have an awesome map for out wedding invitations.

Well as discussed in an earlier post about our invitations how I really wanted a custom hand drawn and colored map. This wasn't in the cards so I improvised and put my map making skills to work. I cannot freehand draw at all and won't embarrass myself by showing you a scan of my initial freehand draft. But I can for some reason trace using a computer mouse. It is sort of an extension of my own arm. Matt and I worked on this project together and was definitely a successful joint effort.

click to enlarge

To do this map I used Adobe Illustrator- an easy to use vector based graphic design program but unfortunately expensive. I started with a Google Map of Phoenix and then traced all of the essential roads. I then used symbols to mark the landmarks. I got the symbols from the Illustrator symbols library, downloaded some new ones, and designed and drew some of my own by tracing over scanned images. For several landmarks such as Camelback Mountain I imported a photo and traced over the outline. I then colored in the symbols. For a handmade feel, I downloaded a handwriting font from Free Handwriting Fonts to label all of the roads, etc.

I took my file to Office Max and printed color copies onto white cardstock, 4 maps to a page. I then cut them down to size and printed driving directions to our Fiesta Reception site on the back. The total cost was about 4 hours of work to make the map and only $0.11 each to print which included the paper. Yeah student discount! Normally they would be about $1.20 per page and depending upon the size of the map you could fit 3-4 per page. I am no "expert" using Illustrator but if you were just starting out with this program it would take a lot longer. Most of my time wasn't really drawing but design decisions. I drew inspiration from other wedding maps I have seen on the internet.

If anyone out there wants some additional advice or some help with their own custom map - send me an email and lets talk. I wanted to incorporate tons of other ideas into our map but this was just a 4 by 5.5 card! I would love to design maps for other couples.

We wanted a map that was useful, accurately showing how to get around town, as well as gave some insight to our personality and relationship. I think we did a great job and this is my favorite wedding DIY project to date. I can't wait until we graduate and move to do a similar "We've Moved" postcard to inform our friends and fam of our new address.

Flowers, Feathers, or Both?

2008-12-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

It seems like big beautiful hair clips with flowers feathers, or both are a close second to colorful shoes as the most trendy bridal accessory. Well this gorgeous trend is definitely a bandwagon I want to jump on. Wait a minute - is there a wedding trend I haven't adopted yet?
I have been waiting to do too much research on a hair accessory because I haven't actually seen my dress yet (argh - con of custom orders), therefore I am not sure of the shade of ivory. And there is the color of shoes I will go with and if I have any strong feelings about other jewelry to consider as well. The decision making never ends. But here are the results of my first serious recon mission.

Examples from Fancy Smancy Designers

Jennifer Behr

From K. Autumn
(the photo on the left is from a great blogger and wedding Rebecca from Oh So RB).

So at a hefty price these may not be the best option for me. But I found several other great alternatives on Etsy. I love Etsy - a wedding planing goldmine. Below are some great designs that I am thinking about.

Examples from Etsy Sellers

from Psalm 117

from Twigs and Honey by Myra Callan

from q. d. designs

from Brenda Bridal Veils

from JMG Jewelry Design

Anybody have a favorite?

Wanna an Invite to a Party?

2008-12-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

Before we left town for the holidays we finished our DIY invitations to the Fiesta. This was a big goal of mine because I knew the next few months would be full of small projects and I didn't want this big one to be drawn out and up all hours of the night addressing them. The goal with the invites was to translate the vibe of our reception - fun and festive with lots of color.
I have been supper jealous of all of the great Gocco stationary projects I have seen out there in the blogoshpere. But this wasn't feasable. Both becasue of the cost and that they are no longer making some of the supplies :(. But I think I made good use of our home laser printer and colored card stock. I used several different edge punches (via Martha of course) to make little papel picado banners and the address labels. These patterns appear all throughout the reception decor.
I wanted to have a pocketfold design of some sort but wanted to keep the amount of paper per invitation down. It seems that some pocketfolds out there are the size of a book. Lots of paper and postage expenses with those. So instead of a pocketfold ours is more of just an invite with a small pocket on the back for the inserts. Also in an attempt to Go Green without Spending Green we asked that people RSVP via our website rather than including a reply card.

The map printed on the back of the Directions insert is my special pride and joy of this project. I really wanted a custom map by Laura Hooper Calligraphy or Couture Maps by Stephanie Barba. I wanted one so bad I was even considering cutting my dress budget down to dollars to make it happen. Then I realized that "Hey, I draw maps and figures all day long. I can do this." I don't make hand drawn maps and couldn't free hand anything like these ladies but I do have some mad skills using Adobe Illustrator. I will have a detailed DIY post later on how I designed the map but for now check out this post from Elizabeth Anne Designs.

Now that they are all done we can begin the tedious task of addressing them. In the beginning I had high hopes of learning calligraphy. Well as with several other projects - that had to go. So instead we are using our trusty laser printer and a package of full sheet labels cut down to size. We designed them so they wrap around the back of the envelope with our return address on the back and we are using the same font as the rest of the stationary (Merceed). Matt is getting in on the action and printing and punching them out. The plan is to print a sheet of labels a day and they should be all good to go for mailing in no time.