Welcome!

We have a new addition to the wedding fun!  What is it???? A new color.  Meet the new and improved color scheme:

This green might technically be a bit brighter than our actual green

The lovely peacock and the new addition of eggplant

And, of course, a chocolate brown

Why the late-comer of eggplant?  Because Darci is so high maintenance.  :)  Not really.  But, we all did pick bridesmaid dresses on Sunday.  Woo-hoo!!!  Even better, I think both Kristy and Darci are happy with their selections.  We're not going for the standard everybody matches kind of wedding....primarily because people are different.  So, everybody gets a different dress.  Check 'em out:

Darci's dress

Kristy's dress

Back of Kristy's

 We really do swear we'll blog about life - and wedding stuff - again soon.  Hope this tides you over in the meantime, though.  :)

Alive!!

Okay, so we've had lots of questions lately about where the heck our blogging has been.  Well, folks - things have seriously been a little crazy around here.  Between life, leaving a job, starting another one, being up mega early for that new job, dress shopping, friend time, and eight million other things....there just hasn't been a lot of time or energy for blogging.  So sorry!!!

But, we're really alive.  Promise.  And, we have big news.  Dress decisions have been made....Running of the Brides DID happen....and there's been some other good stuff.  Like, while we were at Running of the Brides on Friday, we got word that Crissy's grandma found us a ton of mason jars and that Kristy found us 17 blue ones.  17!!!  All of those glorious jars! 

Stay tuned....I swear we'll post about other exciting stuff soon! 

But, here's a sneak peak of what's happened:

Here you go

I'm sure you've all been *dying* to know what the invitations look like that I referenced yesterday.  Well, blame it on the iPad and its apparent inability to upload an image to blogger - either from it or from a link.  I just don't understand.  But, here you go.....the new invite in all its glory:

Isn't it lovely?  And, just - well - perfect for our wedding?  I think if we replace the pink ribbon with some green and I can find little tags like that, we'll be golden.  Plus, it means they can be mailed in these fun kraft paper envelopes.  Pretty fabulous, right?

Oops, I did it again

But, not Britney style. No worries. But, I did change me mind. Shocking, right? Yeah, not so much. In my defense, it's not so much of changing my mind as it is finding something that's perfect and that I'm convinced we could do for the same cost as something else. What the heck am I talking about? Invitations. You know, what you all are anxiously awaiting....hahaha...

So, we did buy some that we like on clearance. They do the job. They have pockets. And RSVP cards. And the whole shebang. And then we had to buy different invites on clearance from another store since the first batch didn't have as many as we'd need. Those are ok too. But, not perfect.

These though, with their burlap and ribbon belly bands, and their diagonal fancy script font.....well, they're perfect. See?

(I'm having a problem uploading the pic from the iPad since we're out of town right now....so you'll have to follow the link. And, no worries...we're enjoying ourselves. I'm just hanging out while crissy still sleeps. Oh. And for the record - she likes the invites too).

Project night (aka "There's a protector on the razor blade?")

Okay, so wedding project night was last night...and I'll admit, we could certainly have a lot more to show for it.  But, I'm happy that we got started on some things.  So, that's good enough for me.

First up?  Spork testing.  You see, Crissy's mom ordered our bamboo sporks for us last week and they arrived in the mail yesterday while I was out gathering mason jars and other wedding goodies.  So, when I got home I was excited to look in the box that Crissy had already opened to check them out.  Know what I thought upon looking at them?  "Holy crap, those are small!!!"  I know the stated size on the website is 3.5" but I don't think either one of us thought that translated to the size we saw in the box.  So, we opened up a package and tried 'em out.  They were okay, really.  If you had no use for the spoon part of the spork....because that's where we both inadvertently ended up holding them.  We also decided our grandparents would absolutely hate them because of their size.  Want to see just how small they really are?

Now, tell me that the spork doesn't look smaller than it does on the website?  I SWEAR it looks like it would be so much bigger:

Anyway.  So, that prompted us to start looking at other utensil options.  We found several eco-friendly, non-plastic (though one option looks plastic, but instead is made from biodegradable starch), super compostable options - all requirements of ours.  Oh, and we like the way they look.  That's a pretty big requirement, too.  Especially when paired with the prices. 

Project number two?  Wine bottle cleaning.  Remember how a while ago, I posted pics of wine bottles being used for things like water and lemonade?  You don't?  Well, here's a reminder:

So, we'll be using this same idea for our water and cranberry & vodka.  It saves us from having to buy beverage dispensers or for anyone (Jim) to worry about pouring drinks all night.  We want people to have fun.....not working.  So, when I saw this idea, it just seemed like an automatic "Heck yeah!!!"  Even though the idea is from http://www.younghouselove.com/wedding-album/, I must have read somewhere (probably my favorite blog) how to achieve the no-label-on-the-wine-bottle, clean-enough-for-new-beverages bottle, because I knew during our trip to Lowe's yesterday that we needed Goo Gone and razor blades.  So, our project night started looking a little like this:

Those mason jars were waiting for the dishwasher - not exactly a project that needs details

All of those wine bottles, though?  Those are hanging out in a nice soap and hot water bath....for quite a while.  You know, long enough to make the labels just want to peel off.  Well, that's not exactly what happened....but it got better when Crissy helped me out.  You see, we bought these razor blades intended for glass at Lowe's.  So, I opened one and got started.  It wasn't until about 3 bottles in that Crissy came over, offered to help me out with scraping labels off, and pointed out that I hadn't turned the razor blade around so that the actual sharp blade was being used.  Duh.  Let me just tell you what a difference that makes.  So, note to you all whe you try this at home:  Use the sharp razor blade part.  That way you don't have to hate your life and wonder how the hell you're going to make it through 80+ bottles.  Seriously.  It felt like a piece of cake after that. Well, except for one bottle that doesn't make the cut because it's clear label was enough to make me want to chuck it across the room.  It can keep its label and find itself in a happy recycling bin.  It will love it there.

Back to the process.  So, after you (1) buy your wine; (2) drink your wine; (3) save your bottles - or start asking everyone you know for their bottles.  This step (for us) included rinsing bottles, drying them, and letting them sit for months.  Everyone's different, but procrastination can't hurt, right?; (4) soak them in soapy hot water; (5) use a razor blade (with actual blade showing) to scrape off labels; you'll want to.....(6) spray the suckers with Goo Gone.

(7) Make sure you let the bottles sit with the Goo Gone for a while.  They need to become friends and bond.  Once they've sat for a bit, (8) take a damp cloth and wipe off the sticky goop the labels left behind.  If there's still some stuck, you can get your razor blade again and scrape it off.  (9) Place your goopy Goo Gone soaked bottles back in the sink for another soapy hot water bath.  And, then....(10) strategically figure out how to place them in the dishwasher for some serious cleaning.  This part might be harder than step number 5 while using the protected side of the blade.  Or, maybe you have a fancier dishwasher than us.  Because ours?  It only accommodates the height of the wine bottles on one side of the lower rack.  So, it was a challenge to get all of these clean in the dishwasher last night:

I told you, step 10 was all about strategy.  I made it work....but I may or may not have said a few words or gotten cranky during this step.  But, hooray for the first batch of clean bottles!!!!  The only steps left for this project?  Sorting the bottles by color and seeing if we can have each drink be is separate colors - or if we'll just mix and match.

Next up?  Cake stands.  Remember how in the last post, I indicated the clear glass platters and green vases were for a project?  Well, this is it.  Again, I saw the idea somewhere (again, probably my favorite blog) - but I don't ever apparently save these ideas to document "where."  So, it's a darn good thing I have a memory like a steel trap.  For this one, start with a plate or something similar and a candlestick (though, I used glass vases):

I really wanted to incorporate green into it, so when I saw these two glass vases and realized that they had flat enough and wide enough tops, I knew it could work.  So, after acquiring your goodies, make sure they're clean.  And, dry.  Then adhere some epoxy (what the original plan called for) or some LocTite Glass Glue (what I used) to the top of the vase or candlestick.  Immediately center and place your plate (or other item) on top.  Hold in place for about a minute - then don't touch!  And, let it finish setting.  Want to know why I chose the glass glue over epoxy?  One reason is that I've found epoxy to be messy in the past when I've used it for other projects.  But, as I was perusing my options at Lowe's, the Glass Glue jumped out at me - in part because I was gluing two glass pieces together, but also because it's dishwasher safe (after a week).  And, well, dishwasher safe means "Yep, I'll buy you." 

Want to see how they turned out?

Isn't the green fun?  Also, note the slightly different heights.  :)

Close up of the taller one

Now, you're probably wondering "Trish, why would you 'make' cake stands when you can just buy them?"  And, that's a good question.  The answer?  Because cake stands are ridiculously expensive.  I'm not kidding.  I just don't understand how they can cost so much.  Even basic clear glass ones that look like they should cost $2 cost $10.  Well, that's bogus in my book.  Want to know how much I paid for the two I made - which I should note are significantly bigger cake serving surfaces than the ones I've seen in stores?  $10 total.  For both.  That would be why I'm happy to use some glue, scour thrift stores, and just make my own.  Plus, these have character. 

Jackpot

Know how I mentioned earlier that I was going to browse thrift stores today for necessary wedding goodies?  Well, seriously...today was like jackpot day at the thrift stores for mason jars.  I mean, normally, we might find two to three jars on a good day.  Today?  14!!!  And, I even managed to find a few blue ones along the way.  Check out all of my thrift store finds today:

See those large clear glass plates/platters and the green vases?  Those will totally become something new in the near future.  Stay tuned for that fun project and outcome!  But, check out all of the jars!

I also ventured to the fabric store today to see what I could find for our fabric wall.  Lucky for me, it seemed like almost all of the fabric in the store was on sale.  Beyond that, I found some for $1.99 a yard.  Craziness!!! 

It's so darn cute, it deserved its own pic!  :)

Tonight's agenda:  a trip to Lowe's for Goo Gone (to start removing labels from wine bottles), epoxy (for a fun project mentioned earlier), and to price some galvanized steel tubs for beverages - and - starting on some of these wedding projects finally. 

Surprise!!!

Crissy woke up early this morning and is spending her Saturday in an LCSW review course.  Why, you ask, would she want to sit listening to a recap of all of grad school from 8am to 5pm on a Saturday?  Because she wants to be cool like me.  Seriously.  Okay, so it has nothing to do with me...but she does want to pass her LCSW exam this fall/winter.  So, she's doing this class thing all day.  Which leaves me with a whole day to do whatever I want.  :-)  But, instead of doing something really entertaining, relaxing, or otherwise atypical....I cleaned up and "created" Crissy's art room in the basement.  See, when we first moved into the house in May, she was really excited because there was this whole framed room in the basement that we wouldn't be using.  So, she claimed it as her own to become her art room.  It has great sunlight, despite only having one small basement window.  And, a non-carpteted floor, which we figured was ideal in case paint spilled.  But, here's the thing - it has sat down there practically unused (with the exception of a few art projects I've done in the meantime), gathering dead bugs (ewww. and yuck), and sitting with things cluttered and exactly the way they were when we first moved in.

I don't have before pictures...use your imagination.  Imagine clutter, dead bugs and nothing screaming "paint me!!!"  So, here are the after pictures of various corners of the room:

So, now her art room allows her to show off some stuff she's done in the past, plus have plenty of organized space to create new stuff.  I hope she loves it...and that she finishes that giant blue painting for me one of these days.  :)


And, now I'm off to join her for lunch and scour through thrift stores for mason jars and other wedding goodies we might need.  Happy Saturday!!!

Fun possibilities

Etsy can really get me into trouble.  If you've ever spent more than like two minutes on Etsy, you probably know what I'm talking about.  All of the wonderful, unique and handmade items are just too good to pass up sometimes.  The necklace I just posted last time?  You guessed it.  Etsy.  But, guess what else I just found?  There's a bracelet, too!  It's almost too much....the desire to buy them both, that is.  Not the design. 

 But, then I found these.  They seem a little bit excessive....and a lot of fun.  I love trees...so, why not make our dads and my brother wear a "wood" tie?!?!

And, by now you should have figured out that Crissy and I are going to have some kind of dessert/candy buffet.  Indecisiveness?  Yeah, I think so.  So, I've known that we had the option to buy something like this:

BUT, what I did not know?  That you can also buy these candy dishes to either spell your names, with your initials, ampersands or hearts.  How awesome, right? 

I'm not so sure I'm sensing the same kind of enthusiasm from you as I was hoping.  But, you just wait....you'll show up to the wedding and reception and be like "Oh, man, those candy dishes absolutely MAKE the table."  I'm sure of it.  Or, you'll just be like "Ooohhh....candy!!!"  Either way, there will be enthusiasm.

If only...

You know how I post regularly about my indecisiveness?  My absolute lack of being able to make a (seemingly simple) decision, at times?  Well, if only I were making a decision today....because if a decision about dresses and accessories were made today, I'd be wearing things like this in six months:

A lovely dress for the wedding

A fun statement necklace to wear with both (and lots of times after the wedding day)

And, a fun short pale pink dress mega on sale for the reception that I could wear again, too

A dress rehearsal for the dresses?

Okay, so it might seem silly, but Crissy and I had a dress rehearsal of sorts for our upcoming wedding dress shopping excursions.  You see, neither one of us are really in love with the idea of trying on dresses in front of lots of people.  And, neither one of us are overly comfortable with the idea of dresses not fitting necessarily - as is the case with most people when they try on sample gowns.  So, we had ourselves a mini dress rehearsal....complete with two whole friends.  But, this meant that we got feedback other than our own - and got to try on some dresses and get used to the whole thing (Crissy more than me) before we're in front of lots of people doing this in a few weeks.

Want to know what we found?  Yeah, we figured you did.  So, here's what Crissy ended up liking;

This is the Maggie Sottero "Sonya" dresss...and perhaps Crissy's fave of the day

This was the other one she really ended up liking - by Casablanca Bridal

And, then there's the dress that I liked:

Does mine seem a little bit familiar? Yeah, that's because I realize it looks very similar to this dress that I posted a few months ago...

They're not identical, but it was surprising to realize just how similar they actually are.  Especially since I'm not even the one who picked the Allure Bridals dress off the rack to try on.  Funny how that works, huh? 

We're in no way ready to buy a dress yet, but today was a good start.  And, I think it reinforced for me what style of dress looks best on my body type - and allowed Crissy to have a better idea of what type of dress she's really wanting, also.  So, all in all - not too shabby of a dress rehearsal, if I do say so myself.  :)

Dining Dillema

Okay, so I should really still be working right now (no worries - it's a Sunday night....I'm not being a slacker at work), but instead I'm contemplating how tables should be arranged.  I mean, seriously.  Table arrangements?  This is what I'm worrying about?  Apparently I'm all kinds of indecisive lately.  I mean why else would I post polls on this thing for you to answer?  So, let's add one more thing for you all to provide feedback on.  Again - this impacts you, too....so why not?

So, here we go:

There's the scattered (but neatly arranged) placement

There's the slightly more spread out arrangement (we won't have rounds)

There's the two long tables next to each other show here and here:

Or, there's a U-shaped arrangement (or whatever they call this)

So, since you're all attending the wedding (or are reading the blog anyway), which table arrangement would you choose?  How would you want to sit?

Color Wheel

Want to know our favorite part of the movie, Date Night?  When Tina Fey is yelling at the computer for the "color wheel" to hurry up.  Seriously, I think we both laugh each time we see it.  Okay, well we also laugh when Steve Carrell tells the guy at the end to "shut his vagina."  But, that's not what we're talking about right now.  Color wheels.

Know how a while ago we posted surveys on the right side of the blog for you to answer?  You know the ones, the all important cupcake question and the color that our guys should wear?  We all know that the cupcake question is what you all really care about.  I mean, who wouldn't.  Cupcakes.  Yum.  But, the color of suits/pants/whatever for our dads and my brother.....well, that's kind of a big deal, too.  And, you know what we found out from all of you - that you're as undecided as we are.  Yep.  Not much help at all.  So, I'm offering you some pics to help with the decision making. 

First up is a new pic I've seen recently on my favorite wedding website/blog.  It's not brown or black.  And, honestly - I might like them the best.  We'll see.  Tan tuxes.  I mean, I hadn't even considered it.  Honestly, I don't really want our dads and my brother to have to rent a tux.  I'd much rather they wear something they would wear again.  Because let's face it - that's how I feel about every expense with this wedding (well, except for my dress, you know).

And, then there's the brown suit/tux option.  This is clearly a "like" because of the whole color uniformity thing.  The ladies will be wearing brown - unless sometime between now and the wedding they change their minds.

And, of course there is the ever popular black suit option.  Which, I will admit is nice in the frugality department because I know at least my dad and brother own black suits...and maybe Crissy's dad, too.  So, it means they wouldn't have to buy anything new.  So, here's a pic of black suits with brown bridesmaid dresses.

So, now that you've seen all of your options....won't you please go re-take our poll on the right?  I've even reset it and everything.  Please?

In Case you Haven't Noticed

In case you haven't noticed, there are new "tabs" at the top of the blog.  They're not all entirely complete yet, but they're there.  So, now there's our main blog page where the website defaults to.  That's what you'll continue to read my ramblings on.  How luck for you, right?  :)  But, there's also a tab for the ceremony.  As of now, it has our current thoughts on how the ceremony might go and some details about that portion of the day/evening might look.  We have a tab for RSVP, that at some point (after you receive an inviation to the wedding), you'll be able to designate there that you'll be attending. Because we know none of you are going to have anything else going on.  I mean, isn't that what save the dates are for?  So you can prioritize us as the most important thing in your agenda for Labor Day weekend this year.  hahaha.....  Eventually, we'll have a tab for reception details where you'll be able to find menu information, drinks we'll have available, etc...  And, of course, we'll have a tab that gives you directions, what to do in case of rain, and where you can stay.

But, perhaps most importantly - there is currently a tab for Music.  Want to know why this tab is so darn important?  Because it means you can help pick the songs we'll have during the reception.  Otherwise, I might have to threaten to play Black Eyed Peas all stinking night.  And, no one wants that.  I mean, not even me.  Seriously, though.  We want our wedding and reception to be a really great and fun time for people.  And, by fun - I mean like the best darn wedding you've ever been to.  We want people dancing all night - and having so much fun that we all decide to go downtown Peoria later to finish the partying.  That's how much fun we want to have.  So, for us to ensure that all of our guests keep drinking (water, of course. *cough*cough*), dancing and having fun - you need to let us know what the heck you want to shake your groove thing to.  Seriously.  Go right now.  Because we want our reception like this:

Not like this: