Seriously Easy DIY

The last DIY I attempted, while successful, was also not as easy as I originally thought and I was honestly beginning to think I might be a little craft-challenged...Oh the shame, what would Martha say?

This minor but cute project gave me my confidence back and it's super easy, I swear! So without further ado, I present Miss Trail Mix's (aka borrowed-from-Mrs-Taffy)...Drink stirrers. A minor detail no doubt but it will be a (hopefully) cute touch!

I made my way to our beloved Michael's  and picked up 2 rolls of grosgrain ribbon (blue and yellow, duh) some double-sided tape and some very thin, 24" sticks of basalm wood that I simply eyeballed when cutting into 3 pieces using a scissor.

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I then cut a piece of ribbon about 3 inches long, stuck a piece of double-sided tape shorter than the ribbon on it, then wrapped it around the wood piece.  The best part is, it totally didn't  matter if my ribbon didn't match-up evenly because then I just cut a little notch in the ribbon to replicate a flag.

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Badda-bing, badda boom, all done.  So simple and so sweet.

I easily whipped out about 15 of these in 20 minutes, so I think making about 100-150 shouldn't be too difficult a task.  I think they'll be a fun garnish in guest's drinks during the cocktail hour, don't you?

Alright, I will confess that the second half of this project was a big FAIL.  I bought a package of smaller sticks first, thinking they would work as well but alas, they are too short and simply fall into the drink.  And on top of that, I also bought a silver and gold pen, thinking I would personalize the drink flags even more by adding our wedding date.  This was a bad idea.  The ink bled a bit, it was hard to read and my handwriting isn't the greatest.  Good thing I only wrote it on a few.

Yeah, those are ugly.  Shame-face.

But I'm very excited about the tall ones, I love the way they look all together...

Got a rediculously easy DIY project?? Share, I'm all ears!

A Wedding Band Dilemma

In case you're confused, I'm not talking about the kind of band that plays music but the kind that is all sparkly and pretty on my hand! Yes, I've been stalking wedding bands and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  It's way more fun than when I was stalking engagement rings because I don't have to be all sneaky and not tell Mr Trail Mix what I'm doing (yes, I was totally that girl.)

Anyways, I've got a lot of different ideas for a wedding band.  Let's take a look at how my decision-making process evolved and afterwards, I'm going to ask all you readers for your input, if ya don't mind.

First off, just for fun, you all remember my ring, right?

Well, in case you've forgotten what it looks like, here's a refresher:

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Round center stone, smaller diamonds that I believe are set in a shared prong setting.  The band is about 2 millimeters wide.  So the easiest and most obvious choice would be a matching band of the same width.  Classic and (I like to think :) beautiful.

Something like this...

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This one is a full eternity 2 millimeter band from Bluenile. I love it but it is not cheap and not the most original choice ever.  Still, a top contender.

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This 2 TCW (that's total carat weight in case you didn't know...Oh, who am I kidding, any weddingbee girl knows that :) is my total dream and and Mr Trail Mix would totally laugh in my face if I showed it to him. A 3 grand + ring is not in the wedding budget (but no offense to those of you who have a ring like this, more power to ya!) Maybe for a push present later (hint, hint, Mr TM...)

While I was looking at matching bands on Bluenile, I found this pretty 5-stone ring and started picturing it against my ring.  I liked the idea but again, still too expensive so I turned to vintage wedding bands...Let le  fun begin!

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Lord knows I love me some vintage (fashion and recycling!)

It's hard to tell if this ring would look as yellow in real life as it does in the picture...I actually like the idea of mixed metals so I am hoping it's yellow gold (I emailed the jeweler, waiting to hear back.)

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Once I started looking at vintage wedding bands, there was no stopping me.  I decided I like the look of a band that would not create some sort of gap between my engagement ring and not have the band sit flush.  I think this one's so pretty.

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This next one's sort of an awesome combo of several ideas.  Yellow gold, significant bling bling and would not sit directly against my ring but it is on the expensive side. I'm reluctantly considering it...

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I got excited when I saw this eternity band for within my budget but alas, the website says it cannot be resized and it is more than a full size too large. Sadness.

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I've also always loved bezel-set stones.  I heart.

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I also looked at a few diamond and sapphire rings but ultimately nixed the idea.  I want someone else to get this band, maybe if you had a sapphire engagement ring?

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This is the last contender... My friend has the white gold one and it is thin, delicate and stunning on it's own. But I would probably go rose gold.  I really love mixed metals and this one is just...dreamy.

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So, dear Bees, which band should I choose? Let's poll it out...

Option A- Matching 2 millimeter eternity band

Option B- 5-stone band yellow gold vintage band

Option C- 2 thin bands intertwined

Option D- Bezel Set

Option E- Thin, rose gold

Many thanks!

Organza Flower Use Idea #1

Remember my organza flower DIY craftiness? I mentioned that I wasn't 100% sure what I was going to end up using the flowers for.  Here's one idea (inspired by bunting flags!):

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I used my handy-dandy glue gun to attach a few to a yellow ribbon I got at Michael's in the clearance bin.  My own take on a combination of Martha Stewart's bunting flags and fabric flower decorations.  I'll either string these from the sides of the Chuppah or use it to decorate the guest book/family pictures table.

Pretty, no?

Got any other ideas for uses for these?

The After-Party

Our wedding reception is set to end at 11:30 pm.  While 6 or so hours of drinking, dining and dancing may be enough for most, it's the only wedding I'm having so I'm a-gonna prolong the fun for as long as I can (and I've spent 14 months planning this thing so gosh darnit, it's going to last as long as I want it to!)

Enter the concept of the After-Party.  Excessive? Perhaps slightly.  Majorly fun? Hell yes! All the wedding's I've been to have had some sort of after-party, be it an actual party in a different room of the venue or an informal gathering at a local bar or even a hotel room!

I would love to do something at a dive bar (can you picture me in a wedding dress at some grimey, hole-in-the-wall bar? I can!!!!)  But sadly, my town is so stupidly small that there is no bar for us to go to.  There's one restaurant that also has a bar but things are usually shut down by midnight.

So that leaves us with the few bed and breakfast's that all of our friends will be staying at.  Unfortunately, most of the rooms are not big enough to accommodate a party of more than 2 (and THAT type of party won't be happening until waaaaaaay later in the evening. :)

Enter the idea of a late-night bonfire.  The bed and breakfast where we'll be staying, along with the bridal party, has agreed to allow us to host a bonfire after the wedding reception! I'm so excited, I'm picturing s'mores, red plastic solo cups, a keg and me in a hoodie sweatshirt over my wedding dress.  It will be a time to kick back, re-live the night and prolong the inevitable yet sad end to hopefully one of the best days of my life.  To me, a bonfire conveys a nostalgic, old-timey atmosphere that makes me think of banjo music, whiskey and reminiscing on good times back in high school and college.

Take a look at a few other wedding's that have done something similar...

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See? Super-duper funness...

Are you having an after-party? What's it going to be like?

Let The Sun Shine...

...for my wedding photos. Although I have yet to reveal my photographer to you guys (I will soon, I promise), I am happy to share some of my inspiration photos that I plan on showing to my photographer at our next meeting.

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I seem to be constantly drawn in to photos that use sunlight as a way of creating a mood in the picture.  Almost all of these present the couple in front of the light, suggesting an ethereal, dreamy quality that I adore.

I particularly love this pose (note to self, show to photographer!)

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I love the long shadows created by the sunlight in this one.

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Totally gasp-worthy, right?

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I love how this one has just the bride, the groom and the sunlight.  Absolutely beautiful.

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I've got plenty more where these came from but that's enough drooling for now.  Did you find yourself drawn to a certain shot or type of photography? Share!

Card Games

Ok, guess how many of the same card Mr Trail Mix and I received at our engagement party? Three, you might say? Four, eyes opening a little wider? Five, in shocked disbelief? Nope, no, and negatory.

I am impressed to announce that we received the same engagement card from EIGHT different people.  Yes, you read that correctly, eight. How funny is that? I think it's time for Hallmark to step up their game in the e-card department, eh? I'm not going to post the card because I don't want anyone to feel badly in case they're reading this but it's a very sweet engagement card.  That we have now read 8 times.  Too bad no one wrote in pencil so I could erase it and re-gift it on to another engaged couple.

So the next time you run off to buy an engagement card for someone, maybe skip the Hallmark section and try one of these:

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Note: The suggestion to use one of these cards as an engagement card was tongue-in-cheek.  I do not actually recommend using any of these :)

Alright, just for fun, here's a few pretty one's from my two go-to stores for cards, Papyrus or Kate's Paperie...

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What's your go-to store for good engagement or wedding cards? Any crafty readers make their own cards?

Engagement Party in Miami

Thanks to my Trail Mixa-licious FMIL, we recently celebrated our engagement with a brunch down in Miami, since that is where Mr TM is from.  Even though a cold kept me from enjoying the Miami weather the day before, nothing could stop me from having fun at this party.

The party was seriously above and beyond anything I expected.  I'd heard rumors of the awesome parties the Trail Mix In-Laws had thrown beforehand but had never actually witnessed one first-hand.  However, I can truthfully say now that when the Trail Mixers throw a party, they throw a party!  We celebrated at the Westview Country Club in North Miami with about 100 (!!) people in attendance and the talented Sue Chase of Chase Music and Entertainment made sure it was planned out in great detail and ran smoothly.

Although the space was beautiful on it's own, we lucked out because there had been a wedding there the night before and the club let left the decorations up for us, so all the beautiful, white drapings were free!

Here's a shot of the room, all set up, before guests started arriving. Tre gorgeous, no?

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I loved that FMIL Trail Mix took the time to incorporate our wedding colors into everything she did.  For example, even the floral arrangements were yellow and blue.

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Oh right, we had a popcorn buffet!! This was a surprise to me but you guys better believe I took advantage of that bad boy.

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There were even little goody bags with our names on them! She had also printed up similar cocktail napkins and paper hand towels as well but alas, I forgot to take pictures of those.

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Yum, eggs benedict are my favorite.  There was also an omelette station, a carving station, blintzes, waffles, french toast, fruit and frozen yogurt, and pretty much any other goody you would want at brunch.

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No Jewish brunch would be complete without the requisite smelly fish to put on top of one's bagel (and ironically enough, the smoked fish were placed directly next to a huge tray of bacon! Haha! Mmmmmm, me loves bacon...)

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Not only did MIL Trail Mixa-licious take the time to organize this party with all these thoughtful details, she then took it upon herself to write a poem commemorating the occasion and then memorized the entire thing, which she managed to recite to the crowd without missing a beat.  It was a huge hit and she finished with a tribute to FIL Trail Mix, who just recently celebrated a milestone birthday (I won't tell you which one because he might actually kill me if I did.... :)

Here's the hot mama giving her hubby a kiss after finishing the poem...

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Mr Trail Mix-a-Lot then gave a little speech, welcoming everyone and thanking his parents.  I did not speak since between my stuffy nose and croaky throat, no one would have wanted to listen!

Here's the two of us, right afterwards...

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I didn't get a picture of this but immediately after everyone's speeches, FMIL Trail Mixa-licious had another surprise.  She rolled out three birthday cakes, one for FFIL Trail Mix, one for Mr Trail Mix and one for me! All three of us have birthdays within 9 days of each other in November.  The whole crowd sang us happy birthday and we blew out our candles. Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture.

And finally, here's a shot of the whole immediate Trail Mix clan, minus Little Bro TM, who is out in California participating in the Americorps program. I wished he could have been there to celebrate with us but sadly, it just wasn't in the cards.

From left to right, that is Papa TM, Mama TM, Mr TM's Little Bro and Best Man, Me, Mr TM, MIL Trail Mixa-licious and FIL TM.  Whew, that's a mouthful.

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This weekend was a wonderful way for our two families to get to know each other a little bit better and to celebrate our engagement.  I am truly thankful for the amazing FIL Trail Mix clan I'm about to join, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for us!

How did you celebrate your engagement?

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

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Confession: I sent my Save The Dates out way. way. waaaaaay too early. After my recent posting about the design of our pretty STDs, I had several requests to tell the story of the over-eager bride who sent out her Save The Dates close to a year before the wedding.

See, I told you, tre early.  Hellooooo, psycho-bride!  But in my defense....Well, no, no, I have no defense, really.  The long story short is that I decided very early on what they were going to look like and had my friend make them for me back in April.  I finally got my grubby little paws on them in June.  I'm a teacher and I was on summer vacation, which basically means I had a lot of free time and a serious urge to cross wedding tasks of my gigantic to-do list.

When I went on the Knot, the timeline for sending out Save The Dates was something like 12-6 months in advance.  Great, I thought, I'm 11 months out (really, it was closer to 12 but it was at least under the 1-year mark.)  So I did up my little Word insert with our wedding website information, stuffed and addressed them all and sent them on their merry way.

Unfortunately, what the Knot did knot (haha!) state was why it is important to have your guest list completely finalized before sending out the Save The Dates.  THIS, my dear ladies, is why I strongly recommend waiting until at least the 7 or 8-month mark to send out Save The Dates.  Had I waited, I'm willing to bet I could have gotten our invite list down to at least 200 people, instead of the monstrous 230 it is now.  But no, thanks to my over-eager, over-ambitious self, I am stuck with my guest list as is.  Well, technically I could add people to it but we all know that's SO not what any bride wants!

So there you have it, my sad tale of how jumping the gun can lead to shooting oneself in the foot.  Whoops! Seriously, girlfriends, make sure your guest list is super-set before you send them out.  Or at least don't send them to people who are even remotely questionable (yup, didn't do that either, sent every last one out to every person on our damn guest list.) Oh well, live and learn, I suppose, but I do hope someone learns from my mistakes.  So take my advice, no matter how beautiful your STD's are, no matter how anxious you are to get 'em out there and proclaim to the world that you are getting married, WAIT.  Wait until you're certain of the guest list, wait until you know who you want to send them to and then wait another month (Unless you're planning a destination wedding.  Then by all means, send 'em as early as you want!)

Anyone else got a tale of early bird bridal psycho-ness?

Bittersweet Symphony

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That picture is of some lovely, autumn bittersweet but the beautiful aesthetics of bittersweet is not what this post is about. Truthfully, I only included it because A) a post without a picture is like a cupcake without icing and B) it's the first thing that comes up when you google "bittersweet."

In fact, this is a post for all the bride-to-be's who have encountered some "bitterness" during their planning process, particularly in their relationships with family and friends.

I think I am in the 'lucky' category, seeing that during my wedding planning thus far, I've only had a few minor altercations, mostly with my poor mom (Thanks for putting up with me, mom!)  But for many engaged ladies, the planning can be a really stressful time that results in the loss of friendships or does serious damage to familial ties.

It should be a time to become closer to your friends and family, not pull relationships apart.  But unfortunately, I've heard many many stories of bridesmaids (or groomsmen) who have been asked to step down from their role in the wedding or family members who have stopped talking to one another based on wedding decisions. I think most of the time it is because of differing expectations or a lack of clear, forthright communication but regardless of the cause, the cost is still the same.

I am so thankful for my amazing friends and laid-back family but I truly feel for those brides who have ended a friendship or severed a relationship with a family member due to wedding planning. I can only imagine how truly bittersweet a wedding would be for someone whose best friend or aunt or cousin was absent or not performing the role originally asked of them.

It breaks my heart every time I see a thread on the boards or other blog posts from a bride who is miserable about a bridesmaid or having drama with family members. A wedding is a joyous occasion; shouldn't the planning be as well? It makes me sad to think of all the damaged and ruined relationships because of a wedding, a happy celebration of love and life.

I've tried so very hard to avoid this, mostly by refusing to stress out over anything.  It's not always easy but in the back of my mind, I just keep reminding myself that relationships are more important than things and my wedding is the last thing in the world that I to be a source of unhappiness in my life.

Anyone been in a situation where a friend or family member caused you stress during the planning process? How did you handle it?

Easy Peasy...NOT~

No matter how simple a DIY project seems before I begin, it seems to always end up anything but. Seriously, I was thinking before I started this project how I would blog about what an easy craft project it was.  But no, nothing, as they say, is easy.

First, I should mention that I totally hoard craft supplies.  Wrapping ribbon from a recently received Macy's gift? I take it, roll it up and put it in my ribbon drawer.  Good, heavy-duty wrapping paper from Williams-Sonoma? Fold it up and put it in the paper drawer.  You get the point.

This project came about because I bought some cardstock from the recently opened Michael's  in Manhattan for a Halloween project (I was a mail-order bride! Haha!) and the package I bought (for a grand total of .99 cents) had these sheets of pale blue and yellow, which just happen to be...Our wedding colors. Score.

Also, don't ask me why I tend to do the silly, random crafts first and leave the major things (centerpieces, table numbers, programs, hello?!?!) until closer to the wedding but that seems to be the way I am operating lately.  And so, without further ado, I present my DIY bride and groom chair signs.

First, I downloaded  Scriptina font from Dafont.com. Wait a second, back up there...First I attempted 3 different times to download the Scriptina font.  After being completely unsuccessful times 3, I finally gave in and watched this tutorial and then finally managed to get it to show up in my Word document. Excellent.

First, I typed out 'bride' and 'groom,' using size 100 font (the downloaded fonts seem to all be significantly smaller than the normal fonts on Word.) Then I used my handy dandy papercutter to eyeball an approximately "sign appropriate" size.  By the way, cheap paper cutters are superbly annoying.  Don't go cheap on this one if you want your paper products to look nice. And have straight lines, dang it!

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After I had cut out the bride and groom printings, I added the decorative touches.  Part of my hoarding habit had scored me a little flower garnish from a present from Bloomingdale's, which went on the 'bride' sign.  I traced a little top hat onto a piece of black tissue paper and that got glued onto the 'groom's' sign.  See exhibit B below.

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I then glued these blue papers onto a slightly larger piece of yellow paper. I will confess, I eyeballed everything and although they came out the eeensiest bit crooked but I'm not super picky about these things (hence the cheap paper-cutter.)

Here's where my country roots start to show.  When I realized I didn't have a hole puncher, which I wanted to use in order for the ribbon to be attached to the sign, I turned to the next best thing.  A kitchen knife.  Yes, ladies, that is me boring a hole into my sign (and my coffee table...oops!) using....a knife.

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Hey, the holes weren't too shabby for being done with a knife!

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I had some grosgrain ribbon leftover from another engagement present we received, so I cut a length of that and poked it through my knife-cut whole, tying a knot in the back.

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Here's a shot of the finished signs, hanging on a hook in the kitchen (those dried roses are the one's Mr Trail Mix proposed with!) Que sweet, no?

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Since I had a bit of DIY crafty energy left after completing the signs, I printed out a few pieces of blue cardstock with the word 'reserved' on them, to put on our parent's chairs at both the ceremony and reception. I matted those bad boys onto some yellow cardstock, just like our signs.  Finally, I  added some ribbon by simply boring two holes about in the center of the sign and tied the ribbon in the front.

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Voila! Finished chair signs for the bride and groom, as well as 4 reserved signs for the parents. Sweet sweet mother of victory in the craft world.

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Ok, I know it's totally silly of me to be doing these types of minor detail crafts 7 months out until the wedding but I'm pleased with how they look, so I guess I will count it!

Anyone else focus on minor minor fun projects in lieu of tackling the big stuff?