Bonnie's Sew In Love Shower Hour

This past weekend was Bonnie's Bachelorette Weekend! Amanda knows someone with a Poconos house and she let us use it for the weekend and it was great! We basically just hung out at the house all weekend. The first night we imbibed a bit and Bonnie started her own dance party in the living room. I went to bed at 3am, and was told that it was a little shocking that I'd be the first to tap out. Ha. But I did, because I wanted to wake up the next morning and decorate for Bonnie's "shower".

Back story - Bonnie's family had a shower for her over Christmas in some other state, so we attempted to throw another shower for her (for us) but her fam was like "You crazies, we already had a shower for her!" or something not quite like that and we ended up cancelling but decided to roll it into her bachelorette weekend. Pre cancellation, we decided on a sewing theme (Sew In Love) for her shower, since she sews awesome clothes and stuff. Amanda and I (Amanda is one of her MOHs) had already been looking up fun sewing-themed DIY projects for the decorations. Even though we weren't having a shower, I still wanted to utilize these decorations because, um, do you know me? I love decorations. Anyway, I made these super awesome (as far as I'm concerned) button garlands and draped them around. I seriously could make button garlands forever. Remember Aunt Cheri's button jar? No? Well, while I was planning my wedding I needed buttons for stuff. Stuff like my bouquet and the men's boutonnieres. So Aunt Cheri basically forces tells me to take her big button jar that we have no idea where it really originated from. It may have belonged to my great grandma, or this woman we're sort of related to through marriage. Let's just call her Anne and leave the explanations out. Anyway, seriously, it's this huge jar full of buttons. I mean, this thing could have been from both my great grandma, Anne, and thensome. You know how when you buy something with buttons and they give you replacement buttons? Or when you buy buttons for something and they give you 800 of them in a pack (I'll never have to buy buttons). Imagine decades and decades of those just thrown in a jar. Then imagine my excitement of being given all those buttons that I actually have a use for! Then imagine Aunt Cheri's excitement of getting rid of this massive jar of buttons she didn't know what to do with. Ok, you probably don't know Aunt Cheri, so let's just say she was more than happy to pass them along. We also found more buttons in more jars, sewing kits, and spools of thread and all that good stuff while cleaning out my Grandude's house (and also some things my aunt had from Anne). I was like "Oooh more buttons!" and my mom and aunt were like "Great… TAKE THEM". I don't know why, but in my head, all I wanted to decorate with were old sewing things. I guess it's like that vintage, retro feel or something.

Spools via Google Image Search

If we were having a big shower, I think I definitely would have taken on some more sewing-themed projects - like these:

Yarn Flowers via A Subtle Revelry
(I would have done more toned-down, antiquey colors, but these are still fun) - check out the tutorial!

How cute are the utensil wraps?? Utensil wraps and cake below via LeslieSarna.com

Spool vases via LushLee.com

Test tube and spool bud vases - so cute!

Via TheHastackNeedle (photo originally via Rachel Ray)

Amanda was going to give sewing kits out as the favor if we had a big shower (so cute!):

Sewing Kit from DollarTree.com

But we were pretty much just having a little shower, aka "Bonnie's Power Hour Shower", so not too much decoration was needed. Confession - because it was small, I definitely had to fight with myself to keep it small. As in, restricting myself to minimal decoration.


(There are no pictures of any of us because basically I ended up decorating for breakfast. Meaning none of us had showered or put on any makeup. So you only get the decorations. Also, the lizard on the window is not part of the decor. He came with the house.)

I loved the garlands so much that I was determined to not throw them away. I didn't really know what I would ever use them for again (oh, hello, you're having a baby? Babies like buttons, right?? Lol), but I refused to trash them after spending so much time on them. As I was rolling them up (HINT: if you do button garlands, you should wrap them around a cardboard tube or something. These things tangle like WHOA and are pretty much impossible to untangle.), Bonnie asked what I was doing with them, and to my surprise, actually asked if she could keep them! Bonnie isn't really a "things" person, or at least not to the extent that I am (and yes, I'll admit, I'm excessive), so yeah, it was a bit surprising, not gonna lie. But I'm glad she wanted them! She said she'd put them up in her sewing room, which I think it perfect.

I also did button necklaces for us all for the weekend. We all had a different color. Guess what mine was.


Ooooh snap. I just found a "Cute as a Button" baby shower theme. Quick - somebody have a baby. Anyone but me. Come on. I have buttons. Will make garlands. Pick a color, any color.

-C
xxx

Photos that look like they're by me, are by me.

Vintage Inspired Bouquet

Inspired by this: Mine started out like this.

Then this weekend MOH Cassie and I started really putting it together. I've been collecting buttons and random baubles from Aunt Cheri's Button Jar, the button jar of MOB, and various other places. I had clear jewels and rhinestone buttons and white buttons and buttons I'd previously painted a silver color for another project. I had a lot of OTHER stuff I thought was going to go into it (peacock feathers, green buttons, etc.), but it turned out looking awesome-er with all the bling! We attached each individual button and bauble to a strand of wire, pulling it through the back of the button and twisting it back down, then adding a dab of hot glue so that it would stand up and not flop around. Like so:

Then, it was all arranged into one beautifully awesome bouquet and we wrapped strands of wire around the "handle" area to keep it all together for the binding part.

Then we* binded (is that a word?) it all together, just wrapped white fabric around and around and around using hot glue to keep it taught and in place. After there was plenty of cushion, and it looked thick enough, we added the real fabric around it (same fabric that the flowers came from, which honestly pretty much matches my dress!). We added green lace (which I also used on the cardbox months ago) around the top with hot glue, just underneath the "blooms", to cover up the wire and the stems.

I added a cameo brooch that's tarnished gold, a little copper, and some green to the front, and oila! One Vintage Inspired Bouquet - coming up!

Jealous??! :)

Of the bouquet, not of my awesome sweaty hairstyle (no AC downstairs).

-C
xxx

*From this point on "we" basically means "Cassie" while I supervised/made us dinner.

Guest Book Ideas

This week I'm working on a secret project so I can't post about it... I can tell you only that it may or may not be partially blue. I'll post pics next week! Muwahaha :)

In the meantime... I recently decided on what I'm doing for a guestbook. I guess I'll tell you. I mean, it's not like everyone who's coming to my wedding reads this blog, right? Sure. Well, I decided on a photobooth guestbook! You know, where you have a photobooth and doubles of the pics come out and people paste them into an album and write nice things in there? Yeah, that. I kind of need to find a photobooth vendor and all, but that's a minor detail...

via Bridal Gown Blog

Anyway, all along I've been waiting for some unique version of a guestbook to just jump out at me and make me fall in love with it, and of course the second I decide on the photobooth guestbook, I find this:

Curse you Martha Stewart!!
Just kidding, I love you...

That's right, it's a quilt where people write on the squares and someone sews it together so they'll have it forever. *sigh* How freaking cool is that? Martha, you've done it to me again. Or, rather, your executive assistant has because it's her wedding. Grr! I know I could give up the photobooth guestbook, but what's the point? I'm not giving up the photobooth, so there'd be no point in not using the pics in a guestbook and there'd obviously be no point in having both the quilt and the photobooth guestbook. However, I'm not giving up completely. If I ever have a child, I want somebody to do this at my baby shower. That's right friends, take note. I won't forget either. AOB Cheri quilts in case you're wondering who I'd volunteer to put it together :)

Anybody else know any unique guestbook options? I love seeing new ones like people signing guitars or skis. I tried to think of something like that for us, but couldn't think of anything! I guess I have to leave some of the cool ideas for other people to have as their own!

-C
xxx

Drum Roll Please!!

..... MOB AND AOB both have a dress for the wedding now! I got a talking to over Easter from MOB about why I hadn't posted that she'd gotten hers yet, so I have to post about it! I just wasn't sure it was "the one", considering there have been several dresses purchased since the infamous post. But I do believe this is the one! She loves it and I love it. Now she just needs to get off her crutches in time to wear heels with it :)


I don't have a picture of AOB's dress, but it's a brown maxi dress kind of like this:Except in my family we don't have boobs*! lol. And hers has a circular rhinestone-looking-something at the bottom of the neckline. Very pretty. We found it this past weekend at Ross (I love Ross!)! Success!

-C
xxx

*Seriously, we don't. Did I mention my own mother told me I needed more cleavage in my wedding dress?? LOL Yes, my mother is insisting I wear a push up bra.

Guess who's back!

Me! Sorry I've been MIA. FH was in town for a little over a week, my internet at home has been down since 3/11*, AND I've been uber busy at work preparing for today's big event. As in, not-even-time-to-check-my-twitter busy. Now THAT'S busy.

Funny story - MOB loves the term FH. I think she's happy she knows what it means. Like when she learned LOL (although I'm not sure she knows what it means other than that it replaces "haha"). I should give you a pop quiz on all the terms, Ma! Honestly, though, I have to admit when I first started reading wedding blogs, most acronyms are easy to figure out, but some are really difficult! Some are also just pointless. Like CP = centerpiece. Really? Is that necessary?? I also think some people make up their own just because they don't feel like typing them out. Unfortunately (UFTLY), they are the only one who know what it means! Lameness (LMNS).

So here are some acronyms typically associated with wedding blogs, for those of you that don't read them, but read mine because you're my friend, and for those of you that don't care enough to google them, so you'll know what the hell I'm talking about when I use them:

MOB - Mother of the Bride
FOB - Father of the Bride
FIL - Father In Law (also can have an extra F in front for "Future", as in Future Father In Law)
MIL - Mother In Law (also can have the extra F in front for "Future")
SIL - Sister In Law (also can have the extra F in front for "Future")
BIL - Brother In Law (also can have the extra F in front for "Future")
MOG - Mother of the Groom
FOG - Father of the Groom
RD - Rehearsal Dinner
DOC - Day of Coordinator
WP - Wedding Planner
DIY - Do It Yourself
FW - Future Wife
FH - Future Husband
MOH - Maid of Honor
BM - Bridesmaid
GM - Groomsmen
FG - Flower Girl
RB - Ring Bearer
OOT - Out Of Town (Guests... or Bags)
STD - Save the Date (Get over it people, this is an acronym that is used A LOT, and not just by me. It does NOT mean sexually transmitted disease in the wedding world!)
TY - Thank You

I have 3 days to finish my cardbox project. Crap. Wish I could do it by typing. I can't exactly bring a bright green cardbox and crafty tools with me to work. Preeeetty sure that doesn't look work-related.

*FH probably secretly enjoyed the fact that my internet was down. He even hates when I check my BlackBerry when he's here! Although we did use it to pick our vows this weekend! :)

UPDATE: I have had a request to add AOB (Aunt of Bride) by Aunt Cheri of the infamous Aunt Cheri's Button Jar! Of course, it applies to all Aunts of the Bride, and while I'm at it, AOG, UOB and UOG as well!

Weekend Recap

This weekend Amanda (one of my bridesmaids) and I worked on wedding stuff together. She's getting married in June, so I helped her do some inventory, and she let me use her super kickass paper cutter to get some work done on my invites! We watched several episodes of Bridezillas back to back while doing wedding crap. It really is scary how crazy some people are (and that there are men crazy enough to marry them)! But, alas, it's pretty addicting, probably for the reassurance factor that you are not that bad. No matter who may call you a bridezilla during your wedding process *cough* fiancé *cough*, it makes you feel so much better about yourself seeing how absolutely insane these people are! I'm thinking of subjecting fiancé to an episode or two the next time he lets that term slip out - because he clearly doesn't know what a bridezilla is if he thinks I'm one!

Aside from cutting a lot of paper yesterday, I also worked on the following projects:

- deciding on the final design for my invites

- boutonnieres

- corsages for MOB and MOG

- LED throwies for my lanterns I have yet to buy

I think it was a very good thing that we decided to have a "Wedding Crap Day" at Amanda's house. I hope we can make this a habit. Even though I didn't help her much physically, just being there helped her to get things done, and vice versa. I find that when I'm home by myself I have the good intentions of getting a lot of wedding things accomplished, but never seem to get anything done. I get distracted by the cleaning my house needs or other such chores. For so long I chalked it up to having so much time that I didn't need to get anything done just yet, but that thought has got to go! I'm officially down to a little over 7 months to go and I have a list of DIY projects a mile long! It's time to get my bum in gear and start DIYing like it's my job. I've found that if I wear sneakers around my house instead of my comfy slippers, I'm less apt to sit down and more apt to do things, so I'm going to start doing that more often. Hey, whatever works, right?

Here's a pic of the bouts that are so close to being finished! They just need a final drop of hot glue or two in a couple key places and they're good to go. All except the groom's have the buttons on them now, I'll post another pic when they're all done! I'm very proud of them :) All I used were silk flowers (that I got for a nickle at a church yard sale), the leaves from the silk flowers, bright green ribbon from Michael's, floral tape (another yard sale), fishing line (yard sale), and buttons from Aunt Cheri's button jar*. The buttons have a sort of British look to them, which is why I added them (my fiancé and all of his groomsmen are from England). What do you think?

*Buttons from Aunt Cheri's button jar may make a later appearance as well. The jar is a collection of buttons from relatives who have passed away and passed on their sewing materials, because my family does not throw out anything that can be useful! There were some GORGEOUS buttons in there that I'd love to use in corsages and maybe even my bouquet! It was a nifty (and thrifty) find!