Ribbon Wands, Part 1

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my Saturday evening:

Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed with tasks that need done.  They bring me anxiety because they're not done yet.  I am very much aware, however, that there is no need for most of these things to be done right now.  The thing is, though, that if I do them now - I know it's one less thing I'll have to worry about later.  Hello, crossing things off a to-do list is pretty great.  I know you all agree with me.  Nevermind the fact that Meghan was right when she asked me what I would be doing with them between now and the wedding and why they couldn't wait to be completed sometime around a shower later this summer or something when other people would be around to help.  Pish posh, Meghan.  I know you love to-do lists and crossing things off, too.  :)

So, craft night it is at our house.  I guess in lieu of the art fair we were planning on going to, we are being the "artsy" ones instead.  I mean, if you can call making ribbon wands "artsy."  I don't really think so...."artsy" might be a stretch.  Oh well.  It's creative.  Or something.

I knew I wanted ribbon wands, mostly since I first saw someone blog about them.  But, I didn't realize just how much I wanted them until I actually started making them.  I LOVE them!!!  They're so fun - and I have no doubt that they'll help facilitate beautiful pictures at our wedding.  Not to mention, being something people can hang on to, if they choose.  And, really....they're just fun.  Plain and simple.  Beyond loving them for what they'll do and how they look - they make me love our wedding colors even more.  The addition of eggplant couldn't be more perfect!  And, the original chocolate brown, apple green and peacock....LOVE.

Here are the whole whopping 4 ribbon wands I have made so far:

Sadly, the eggplant ribbon gets a little lost in the pictures

It's hard for pictures to really capture the fun-ness of them.  And, for you to really understand how great they'll flow when waved around.  You'll love them.  Trust me.

You're dying to see what they look like while being waved?  Yeah, I figured as much.  So you don't have to wait any longer, here you go:

Oh man, I just can't wait for it to finally be here!!!  105 days to go - holy crap!!!

Napkin Rings

I bet you're sitting there wondering why anyone would take any time to blog about napkin rings.  Well, my question back is: Are you really sitting there reading about napking rings?  The answer to both is clearly yes.  I won't bore you, though.  Know how in a recent blog I offered up some ideas for napkin rings?  Well, then I stumbled across pinback buttons and a site where you can create your own.  The fantastic thing about pinback buttons as napkin "rings" is that they would require virtually no effort on our part and they wouldn't be all that expensive.  Two completely awesome things.  So, we'd use ribbon to wrap around the napkins and pin the two ends of the ribbon together.  We could create our own design or we could use something like these:

We're nerds, so these seem fitting since we're both therapists

These clearly stay within the green color scheme

These are just fun

Buttons that promote being earth friendly seem pretty fitting with our day.....

Taking Care

You may have noticed by now that our blogging has slowed a little.  And, by "a little" I really mean that it has slowed to a turtle's pace.  We're sorry.  Well, I'm sorry.  I guess Crissy could have picked up the slack...but she's been a little busy taking care of me.

A while ago, I posted about big changes going on in our world.  One of those big changes was my change in job.  April 4 was the official first day - and well, things since about mid-March have been just a little bit nutty.  Preparing to leave ABC was difficult on many levels.  I love that place.  Not past tense...totally present.  Love.  That was a big factor as to why it was difficult.  But, beyond that - I just had a ton of shit that needed to be done before it could actually be my last day.  Case noting?  Not exactly my favorite thing to do.  Nor is closing files.  Good thing Lynn loves me despite these flaws.  So, as my days at ABC came to an end, I was spending lots of late nights at the office.....and not blogging.

Speed up a few days to the start of my new job at SIU.  And, well, it's been something of a time warp - or a time slug.  It's really hard to say whether it has flown by - or if it has taken for.freaking.ever.  Needless to say, I haven't felt like life is normal yet.  I think it's slowly starting to get there, but I just don't quite think we're at normal yet.  I now get up at 5:30 in the morning.  Every morning.  If you have EVER met me, you know this isn't exactly something I'm fond of.  My ideal working hours?  10am to 2pm.  Those are my prime waking hours.  That or about 8pm to 11pm.  Either way - 5:30am is not it.  Beyond that, there's the driving.  The anxiety.  That's a whole other paragraph, though it could be its own post, really.  There's the lunch making the night before.  There's the outfit picking out the night before.  There's really just about everything crammed in before bed.  Ugh.

Here's the deal.  I hate change.  I think I've mentioned this more than once.  Change brings me anxiety.  Not feeling confident in what I'm doing?  You guessed it, anxiety.  Driving in bad weather?  Yep, anxiety.  New social settings?  Anxiety.  Fear of failure?  Anxiety.  So, you know what this job change has done to me?  Brought on a hell of a lot of anxiety.  Seriously.  I'm not kidding.  I'm not sure I've ever needed Xanax like I do now.  But, since I hate meds...which is ironic since I now work for the psychiatrists.....I'm not going to do anything about it.  It will get better.  It has a little.  It's just slow moving.

More anxiety?  Picking out clothes.  I HATE picking out clothes.  And, subsequently....Crissy now hates picking out clothes with me.  :-/  Sorry, honey.  She's pretty great, though.  Nearly every night, we go upstairs early (so we can actually get to bed at the desired time) so we can find my clothes.  I never know where any of my things are - and she's brilliant and always finds them.  Man, I would literally be lost without her.  Or, well, I guess more technically - my clothes would be lost without her.

There's been no time for blogging because I've been so wrapped up in dealing with all of these changes and still trying to have a seemingly normal social life, all while Crissy has been taking care of me.  Which leads me to what will likely be a sappy moment.  Consider this your warning.  You can choose to either scroll past the cute bulldog puppy and read the sap....or just stop here.  Again, your choice. You've been warned.

(This pic is special for Crissy - she'll love it)

Okay, here's the deal.  I'm in Farmersville staying with Crissy's parents right now (gas conservation, people), so this makes me typing all of this less weird.  No worries.

I've always known Crissy was amazing.  I mean, it's exactly why I want to marry her.  But, sometimes things happen in life that just reaffirm what we've always know, you know?  Crissy has always been supportive....amazingly, crazy, supportive.  Of everything.  Crissy shows her love in many ways, but since I started this new job, it's been in ways I never expected.  Crissy helps me find clothes nearly every night - even though she hates it - because she knows it will keep me from freaking out at some point.  Crissy peels my oranges, as we make my lunch for the next day together....even though her hands are *too sensitive* for the cold of the orange.  She's learned to make coffee and sometimes gets it ready at night, instead of me.  She goes to bed early with me.  She doesn't complain *too* much when bedtime ends up being later than planned because of aforementioned freakouts over clothes.  Crissy has taken care of me in ways I didn't know I needed taken care of.  I can only hope that I give as much to her as she gives to me.  Because, man, I'm one lucky lady and I love her tons.

Fun Stuff

Crissy and I definitely want a classy event.  There's really no doubt about that.  But, we also really want people to have fun.  Lots and lots of fun.

I mean, what else says fun, than something like glow sticks?!?!

See?  Fun!

And, neatly arranged before people grab them

One of the reasons I really like them, though?  They could be used to help light the way back to people's cars (or tents) at the end of the night.  I mean, I know they're not a flashlight....but they might help.  Humor me, here.  It will make people safer, I'm sure.

OMG!!! It wasn't my plan to post yet another picture of a gorgeous backyard in this post, but when you find one.....well, you just have to post it.  It's that simple.  Check it out:

Dad and Bill - I hope you're taking notes.  I'm not really sure how to make that happen...but there must be a way.  And, it will be gorgeous.  :-)  And, I'll buy you a drink that day as a token of my appreciation....hahaha...

More fun stuff?  The idea of a one-man piano show.  Think dueling pianos...but, well, not dueling.  We're not really committed to this one yet, but we know it would be fun.  Thanks, Bill, for adding more to the "dream" budget.  :-)  I can always count on you to spend more money.  Really, though, we'd love it.  We're just not sure we're going to have the money to spend.  So, you'll have to actually show up to find out if we have live entertainment or the ever-so-trusty iPod entertainment.  You'll love it and dance either way.  Guar.an.teed.  I'm not kidding.  You WILL dance.

We've already shared that people can camp out at my parent's house in the yard if they want to.  Or, maybe we haven't.  Maybe I was saving that for its own post.  Who knows.  But, the deal is:  if you can't pay for a hotel room, love camping, or just don't think you'll be able to walk at the end of the night....my parents have a large yard that you can put a tent in to sleep off your drunk in.  Just don't puke in the pool.  Or be too loud.  Or leave gross bathroom-like-remnants in the yard.  There, those are the rules.  For now.

I figure the backyard will look something like this

It seems like somewhere along the way Crissy and I channeled our inner hippies...with the whole camping, burlap, recycled bottles, glow sticks, and such.  But, we're really excited about it.  Plus, Crissy has always claimed she has an inner hippy.

Another fun idea?  Owl cake toppers.  Crissy loves owls.  I think they're pretty cute, too....but I'm not nearly as obsessed as she is.  But, owl cake toppers at one of our events would be pretty swell.  These are from Claylicious on Etsy (of course).  One in the "grape purple" and "robins egg" would be super cute together, don't you think? 

Napkin rings/napkin holders.  Yes. I'm serious right now.  I don't know that we're actually doing any of these things, but check 'em out:

And, then, I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about this:

Source

Thanks to the site for that lovely little wooden inspiration board, I think we just found a wine box for the wine ceremony.  :-)

They have so many things!!!

Ok.  I think I need to stop.  But, seriously....there will be loads of fun stuff.  Or, well, let me rephrase.  There will be loads of stuff that I (we) think is (are) fun.  :-)

I've thought of having things like ladderball (or whatever other people call it) and bags.....but then, I fear people wouldn't dance with us.  We want dancing.

Tempting, though, right?

Happy ________________ Day!!!

You know, most people have things like "Happy Mother's Day" posts....us?  We're having a "Happy (fill in the blank) Day" post.  Why?  Well, because we're not normal, I guess.

I mean, we have moms....but we have more than that.  And, May 8, 2011 was more than just a day for moms.  So, here we go:

Happy {Grand}Mother's Day!

To our grandmothers, we say "You're swell."  Thanks for your love and support and just being "grandmas."  You know who you are.  :-)

Happy Mother's Day, Ladonna!

This would probably be more touching if it were actually written by your daughter, so it will have to do from me.  Thanks for everything you do for us, for your love, support, and concern.  Even when that concern is over a measly little cough.  :-)  But, seriously - we're both thankful for you.  And, thanks for letting me invade your house once a week like I live there.

Happy My Linda Day!

I don't like the term "stepmom" or "stepmother" or anything of the sort.  And, I've just not come up with anything else to call Linda...but she does often get referred to as "My Linda," so this one's for her.  :-)  Even though you decided to bail on Mother's Day and spend a week in Mexico with dad, I hope your Mother's Day was fantastic.  Though, I'm sure it was something near tragic without us kids around.  In all honesty, thank you for being you.  Thank you for being such a fantastic woman in my life and a wonderful role model.  Thank you for your love - and your support.

Happy Mother's Day!!
This could get real sappy, so I'll spare you all.  But, it was Mother's Day yesterday....which means my mother, while she's no longer here to be celebrated in person, was certainly thought of.  I miss her a whole heck of a lot.  But, I was lucky to have her for as long as I did.  So, Happy Mother's Day to you, Mom. 

Happy Kristy Day!!!

Nope, Kristy isn't a mom.  But, it was her birthday yesterday!!!  Which means she gets celebrated, too.  Birthdays are just as cool as things like days celebrating parents.  And, yesterday was all hers.  :-)  So, to my bff - thanks for being you, for being great and supportive.



This is sad that this is the only picture I readily saw of the 3 of us.  We need more!

Sooooo....to all of the moms, the Kristy's, the birthday people, the soon-to-be-moms, the new-moms, the wannabe-moms, and every other person celebrated yesterday.....I hope your day was as fantastic as possible and that at least one person celebrated your greatness.

Mooning the Honeys

We're back people...at least for the evening.  First up on the agenda?  A recap of the one decision that was made this weekend.  The honeymoon.  The all important after-the-wedding vacation destination.  We had some options.  First option?  To go absolutely nowhere.  As much as we like our house, it's not really all that exciting.  I mean, if you could spend a week after getting hitched, would you really want it to be here:

Yeah, probably not.  So, then there's the expensive option.  I mean, the expensive option could be just about anything, really.  But, we had decided if we were doing expensive we wanted to go here:

These lovely pictures are from Oxygen, what appears to be a spectacular resort in Costa Rica.  Seriously, there is not a hotel with a hallway full of rooms.  It has jungle villas.  And, only 12 of them.  The resort never has more than 24 guests at a time.  A-ma-zing.  You absolutely must check out the website.  But, you've been warned.  Because you will certainly want to go if you take a look.  And, honestly - it's not that crazy expensive really.  Room rates for September through November are cheaper than what I've paid for hotel rooms in Chicago before. 

And, while there are ways Oxygen could be an option for us, we're not sure we want to bank on those options.  I mean, we could establish a fund for our gift registry, allowing people to help pay for a honeymoon rather than buying us a tangible gift.  Or, we could hope that I get my first potential clinical incentive bonus August 1.  Or, who knows what else.  But, we're not really sure we want to get our hopes up in thinking we'd be able to go somewhere like Costa Rica and then be disappointed when I don't get a bonus or something (because I wouldn't have had enough clients for long enough to make that bonus happen).

So, instead we're going with the middle-of-the-road option.  Well, not really middle-of-the-road.  Because from what we've heard, it's a pretty darn nice place.  And, right on a beach.  So, I think those things make it far closer to our expensive option....just not somewhere that sounds exotic like Costa Rica.  Or Belize.  Or Bora Bora, Fiji, Tahiti, or anywhere else like that.  Because Florida.....well, it sounds so....American.  haha.  But, seriously - we're super excited about this option.  You see, Linda's sister, Jean, has what is rumored to be a delightful beachfront condo on Pompano Beach in Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale).  I've heard it has a wall of windows and is steps from the beach.  That's my kind of place to veg in for a week.  Best of all?  Jean is AWESOME and to our knowledge, is only asking that we pay the fee for it to be cleaned after we leave.  I mean, okay.  So, it's looking like our honeymoon will cost us airfare, food, fun stuff, a cleaning fee and a thank-you gift to Linda's sister, Jean.  We're all for that.  We have no real pictures of the place, but here's what I envision:

And, these are legitimate pics of Pompano Beach....just not from Jean.  And, I have no idea how they compare to exactly where her condo is:

So, hooray for a decision being made!!!  And, hooray for what will undoubtedly be an amazing time in a beautiful spot!!!  (as long as there are none of those pesky hurricanes around....but I already know that Mother Nature will appreciate my prayers to the universe for weeks of beautiful weather for the wedding and our honeymoon).  Hooray for sticking to budgets!!!

Oh....and hooray for us already knowing where we want to spend our first anniversary....because we're going to save our pennies for Costa Rica.  :)

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.