Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs

Inspiration. Via Homegrown Wedding.

Now I know I'm not going to be the first bride to do this, mainly because the reason I'm doing it is because I've seen pictures of other brides doing it and clearly just want to steal the idea, but I'm having homemade signs at my wedding!

Those are my actual signs. Well, some of them. I have 4 of them done so far, with 4 more on backorder. No, not backorder from a store, these are homemade, yo! My Grandude has been cutting old fence posts, drilling the holes in the top for ribbon, and painting them white. Then AOB has been stenciling on the wording. They honestly look better than I thought they would! Not that I thought they would look bad, but that just means I think they look pretty awesome and I'm very impressed with their handywork.

I don't know what it is about backyard weddings that scream (to me) "You need signs!" Clearly it's not because our yard is so big they won't be able to find the different activities throughout the night. But, they're cute, and for some reason I feel they are very necessary. So, I'm having signs out front that point to the backyard where the wedding will be, signs that say "cocktails", "ceremony", "reception", and even some that mark off where the bathrooms and the smoking area will be*.

There was a slight dilemma that arose when we were trying to figure out how to stick them in the ground. Grandude refused to attach stakes to them because he said the wood of the signs would split (he's probably right). Then I had an "ah-ha" moment and remembered I bought a bunch of shepherd's hooks from Dollar Tree a few months ago. Done! So that's why the holes were drilled and I just finished attaching the ribbon to the tops of the 4 I have so they can be hung directly from shepherd's hooks. These are shepherd's hooks, if you're not in the know:

Via Google Images

You like??

-C
xxx

*Smokers take note - yes, there will be a smoking area. Grandude has emphysema and can't breathe in the smoke. Plus, well, I'm not a fan either!

Weekend Recap

So - my fancy hat shower was this weekend! Here I am (center) with almost all of my bridal party in their hats! I highly, and I mean HIGHLY, enjoyed getting to wear a fancy hat! That dress was awesome, too, and I also wore green shoes :) (of course I did!). Check out the banner behind us that MOH Cassie (to my immediate left) sewed together herself! Yeah, she's not crafty at all... SIKE! I was amazed by all the little details she created for the shower. I wish I had a picture of the he said/she said game everyone played. Super cute! I really can't thank you enough MOH Cassie, Bridesmaid Amanda, Bridesmaid Lela, S-Dogg, Bonnie, LeighAnn and anyone else who helped with set up as well! Above and beyond!


Later that night it was off to my bachelorette party! We had some drinks at one bar, then went on to another one that no one would tell me what it was but I could tell it wasn't just any normal bar! Turns out... it was a drag bar - complete with drag queen show!!

It was HILARIOUS!! I think everyone had a really great time - myself included!! So thanks to MOH Ryann for planning my awesome party and everyone else who came out to make my night so FABULOUS!

I did make MOH Ryann do one wedding project while she was here (and she was thought she'd get away without doing one!). My favors are done - yay! They're mini candy scoops for people to take to the candy bar (aka candy buffet). I even sent them home with MOB to be stored for the wedding. I get great joy when I have things done and can take them there. That way I can't look at them or change them!

Here's hoping I can get rolling on some more projects in the next couple weeks (ummm since I only have less than 6 weeks left!!!)! I think I've just about reached a stage in my unpacking (from moving) where I'm just going to stop so I can get projects done. Unfortunately that means there's still going to be boxes everywhere for a while! Only visitors helping with wedding projects (or unpacking) are allowed from now until the wedding date! :)

-C
xxx

Aaaand they're off!!

Invites are officially in the mail, folks. If you didn't see yours yet, and don't want to, then SPOILER ALERT there are pics posted below! You can come back and read the rest of this post after you gets yours in a few days :) Please don't judge my invites by these sucky photos. My camera doesn't like to make pictures look awesome. ever. and the color's always so blah! Yes, the reason I got the camera in the first place is just to take normal, decent pictures, and be much better than the last camera I had. It has succeeded in those things... but now that I want it for beautiful blog pics I realize my camera kinda sucks. Even though it is green :( Yes, my camera, too, is green.

But I digress. Back to invites...

Fingers crossed that A - they all stay in tact and B - people don't think they look like crap. I know, I know, you're "not supposed to care what other people think." Come on, let's get real, that's a load of crap. I can't help it! I made all these invites FOR other people. I mean, yes, for me & FH, but they are going to be seen by 100+ other people, so how can I not hope people don't think they suck?

So the envelopes are kelly green - and so is the ribbon running down the sides of the invites themselves. And even though the side accent part looks olive, that's also just a tad shade lighter than kelly green. Thanks camera.

This one's gonna hurt your eyes, sorry, but this is the only one that really shows the true colors.

♪ Bliiiinded by the light... ♫

And here are the RSVP and Directions cards that went in with the invites.

I had so many ideas for my invites, I'm surprised I ever dwindled them all down to just one*! Well, if anyone ever needs any invites created, let me know. I've got a ton of ideas I didn't use and would love to put to good use! One of these days I'll have to put together some prototypes for the Behind The Green Veil Etsy shop.

It's been so hard dealing with the invite list, just about any bride will agree with me here. There are cousins you want to invite, but don't know their siblings very well so can't just invite the one cousin because you have to draw the line somewhere (like basically not inviting 2nd cousins as a rule so it doesn't look like you're picking and choosing). Or you want to invite one roommate, but not the other (I know I'm among the very small percentage of brides these days who doesn't live with her fiance yet!). What about happy hour buddies? Are they friends enough to invite? What about friends from high school that you don't talk to anymore, but were so close with way back when? Didn't you always think they'd be at your wedding? But you haven't heard boo from them in years (typically these are male friends, they SUCK at keeping in touch).

Then there are the friends who come out of the woodwork during your engagement. I don't think I'm alone in saying that when you get engaged, there will always be at least one person whom you haven't spoken to in years, that you either get back in touch with or really WANT to get back in touch with. I guess the latter would be because this is a major life event, and if you had any sort of good relationship with the person in the past, you kind of want them there. The only problem is... you haven't spoken to them in years, for whatever reason. The constant question of "Do I invite them?" goes through your head pretty much every day. But then you think, well this person hasn't contact me either, and what if I contact this person and they want nothing to do with me? And if I do invite them, will we lose touch after the wedding all over again, and in that case, is it worth it? Or what if they can't come for whatever reason? Did I just make an extra invite for naught? So how do you deal with all of these dilemmas?

No, seriously. I have no solution. How do you deal with all of these dilemmas?

You can say just invite whoever you want to be there and screw the rest, but it really just doesn't work that way. It's a tricky/sticky/sucky situation. I guess at some point you just have to bite the bullet and decide you're not inviting 2nd cousins, not inviting people you haven't spoken to in more than x amount of years, or not inviting (some of) the people you get drunk with on Wednesdays. Doesn't make it any easier, though, but us normal people ain't made of money. And us indecisive people need to stop thinking about it before "we" drive ourselves crazy.

-C
xxx

PS Yes the names are smudged on purpose and not on the actual invites.

*Especially considering I'm one of the most indecisive people you'll ever meet.

Hairy Situation

Grow hair grow! I suppose maybe I shouldn't have chopped my hair off up to my chin last September knowing I'd want it to be long for my wedding a year later huh? "My hair grows so fast - it'll be long enough!" It's true - it will me long ENOUGH, but I wish I hadn't caved to my cutting urge so it'd be longER. At the moment it's already a little past my shoulders, but I love when my hair's super long and it would've been great to have that length at my wedding. Oh well, not like I can stretch it or anything! And yes I know, I could wear extensions if I really wanted to but I don't think it's necessary since it will technically be long enough. Anyway, I found my perfect hairstyle in my Summer Martha Stewart Weddings mag!

I've had in my head that I wanted something Carrie Underwood would have. Her hair always looks awesome. Plus, I always wanted something half up. And I'm sure my stylist would have done a great job off of just me telling her what I wanted, but I'm so glad I found these pics of a Carrie Underwood-esque style to take with me!

Next up - bridal party hair. I decided I wanted my bridal party to have the same hairstyle, hair length permitting. They're all wearing the same dress, but different shoes and probably different accessories, so I thought it would pull it together more if the hair was all the same. I don't care if they come to the stylist with me, have a friend do it, or do it themselves. It's just a low side bun, nothing too fancy. I don't think that's too much to ask, do you? I got a couple comments that that seems "bridezilla"-y of me. I don't think it is at all. I didn't demand it, I just said that's what I'd like. I don't see how that would really make me a bridezilla. Brides have demanded much more of their bridal party. I like to think I'm being pretty easy going by A- picking a hairstyle that's easy to do yourself or have a friend do if you want B- not forcing people to go to a stylist and spend money if they don't want to and C- if anyone's hair is too short, I've already said we'll figure something out, not a big deal. Anyway, here are a couple pics of what I'm thinking:

haircuthairstyles.com - Scarlett Johansson

shoppinglifestyle.com - Becki Newton

Google Images - Michelle Williams

Bridesmaid Lela already has a jump on this... she did it as her wedding hairstyle! (Yes that awful looking person I tried to cut out on the left is me. TERRIBLE picture of me!)

Anyway, also in Martha's summer issue was a tutorial on how to do a low side chignon. In my eyes, same thing. So bridal party - check it out!

Martha Stewart Weddings
Ok how creepy is this? She looks like she's going to stab somebody.

Also got an email from Daily Candy the other day with a how-to video on the look! Perfect timing Daily Candy! Check it out here http://www.dailycandy.com/all-cities/video/84231/How-to-Create-the-Perfect-Messy-Side-Bun?refcd=email:457432:10.

What do you think of the hairstyles?

-C
xxx

Pieces of Me

I've mentioned before that I'll be using "pieces" of green glass as my centerpiece in lieu of flowers or anything else. Let me clarify. A "piece" of green glass is what each... piece is called. It's like how one might say a "piece" of art. I do not mean "piece" as in little tiny pieces of glass. It's just what you call it when you collect glass like this. Sure, you can just say "green glass" and I'm sure I do that sometimes, but I wanted to make sure people knew I would be using varying sizes and shapes of my green glass collection. I have to share this story, because I think it's pretty funny. Bridesmaid Amanda "Where do you get your pieces of green glass from?" Me "Ummm thrift stores, yard sales, etc." Bridesmaid Amanda "Oh... I thought you were smashing them and using the little pieces..." Ok not verbatim because my memory is terrible, but basically she thought I was using broken glass as my centerpieces, LOL. Of course she backed up her statement by saying that she knew I would make it look awesome, but come on, it's still pretty funny. :) Especially considering she's SEEN my bedroom, which is where a lot of my green glass collection is.

I've actually started cleaning and packing away a lot of it since I'll be moving at the end of July and will need to have it all packed up and ready for the wedding anyway (and a lot was already packed away since I live with roommates and can't decorate my house with it yet), so there's not nearly as much around as there used to be. I tried to put together a sampling of what my centerpieces could look like while I was packing some away, just so you all know what I mean by "green glass centerpieces".

There will be much more varying heights once I have everything out. Like I said, these are just the "pieces" I was putting away at the time. I have many, many (many) tall vases to add in for some height. As you can see, I have all different colors of green glass, which is what pulls together my wedding colors of varying greens (not just one specific green) and black.

I saw a cool idea the other day on Something Green (love that site). Not sure I'll use it for my wedding, but adding a tray under pieces of glass for centerpieces or room decor? Genius. Simple, but genius.

-C
xxx

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

Vintagey Bouquet

And it's not going to be green! Ok there might be some green in there because I bought some peacock feathers at MOB's urging. She really had to twist my arm. Not. I heart everything peacock! How can you not? So many colors, beautifully pulled together by nature/machines. But I suppose it will be green in the "I'm reusing some materials I already own and not throwing it out after one day" sort of way, though. Anyway, after we found out one of my MOHs has the secret talent of making fabric flowers, I came across this:

and decided she/we/she needed to make something like it! Alright, fiiine, it'll be a combined effort... but my secret plan is to be the designer and have her put it all together :) ok not so secret anymore... So I found some really great fabric that pretty much matches my dress and sent it to her to make the flowers. I also have some ivory feathers, antique rhinestone buttons and brooches, and lots of other fun little things. Here are the finished flowers!

They're so pretty! The pics really don't do them justice, like, at all, so trust me on this, they're awesome. MOH Cassie's pretty talented, eh? Yeah, that's why we asked her to sell her fabulous flowers on our Etsy shop. What? Oh yeah, Bridesmaid Amanda, Bonnie and I are starting an Etsy shop! Not ready just yet, but it's coming soon! Don't worry, you'll be the first to know when it's ready :) so if you love DIY but... well, can't DIY, then our shop's for you!

-C
xxx

Top Down, Windows Up, Heat On

Yeah, that's the way we roll... on the way home from the BARKS sale. Ok, not all the time, but this time we did and I've definitely done it in the past. It was below 50 out, windy, dreary, chilly... but we found a desk for my brother and needed a way to get it home, so down the top went on my convertible. I don't know if he realizes it, but my brother probably made out the best this weekend, and he didn't even go to the sale! Actually, I'm almost positive he doesn't realize it. He has yet to realize that just because something was at a yard/garage/whatever sale that doesn't mean there's something wrong with it.Come on, you can't say that's not a nice desk! ($20!) He wasted no time getting it into his room and putting all his crap on it.

Anyway, I also scored pretty big this weekend at the BARKS sale.

Ok so first of all here's what I didn't get, that was on my list, but am not too worried about finding:
-wood for signs (I'll probably find that lying around somewhere anyway)
-bread baskets (only if I found a bunch of small ones that looked nice... didn't)
-shoe stretcher (didn't really think I'd find one, but put it on the list just in case)

And this is what was on my list that I did get!:
-more 8x10 frames (for table names)
-baskets (for various uses)
-furniture specifically for wedding use
-light switch (um because mine broke)
-green glass (Because you can never have enough green glass when you're using it to decorate your wedding! Oh did i mention that?? Another post, another day...)

Everything on my list was for the wedding (except the light switch), but the furniture I felt I needed to specify that I wasn't looking for a desk (um, which we found anyway). Having to rent every tiny little thing for a backyard wedding... well, sucks. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way, but trust me when I say you really have to think of every.little.thing. a person is going to need at your wedding since it's not like you can find it once they're all there! Do you know how many tables you need at a wedding? Not counting the ones you're sitting at, there's also the buffet tables, drink table, placecard table, guestbook table, card/gift tables, program table, cake table... I'm sure I'm missing one or two, but you get the idea. Anyway, I've seen (and I'm sure a lot of you have as well) people using a lot of antique furniture at their weddings lately (via bridal blogs and wedding sites of course). Like an antique dresser with a memorial to those who've passed away (there's one I forgot to mention), and some people even have some sort of furniture as their "altar" or backdrop for where they stand when they say their vows. I SUPER HEART this. I don't know if you know this about me, but I am all about the retro and antique stuff. My room is full of it! So one of my goals of going to BARKS this weekend was to be on the lookout for pieces that could be used as not only decoration at the wedding but would also be functional. I present to you, my proudest find of the weekend (and literally we found it within 30 seconds of walking in), the vanity set:

for only...

I am in LOOOOOVE with my vanity! I can't wait to paint it! It's going to be tarnished gold with black covering the cheesy green "marble". And I already know its purpose - where people can sit and sign the guestbook (whatever I end up using for a guestbook)! AND I already know where I'm going to put it in my house, too! I can't believe it was only $3!

Alright, looks like I'm getting a bit long winded (read: excited) about my finds (and hey, I haven't blogged much this week!), so I'll just show you some pics of the rest of the stuff.

Table to be painted black and utilized at wedding

baskets for programs, coasters, etc. (yes, the bottom one is green!)

As I said above, I have no idea what I'm doing for a guest book yet, but this is new and in the package (the writing is just a sample, there's a blank one underneath), so how could I pass it up??

I also got... a big corkboard that I could cover or cut (I'll find something to do with it), yellow curtains for my kitchen (when FH and I move in together that is), pretty lace to lay over one of the 800 tables I mentioned before, some pretty green pillow shams, a new Brita (literally the one I was going to register for), and various other small things. By the way - not counting the desk, I think my mom and I spent $15 TOTAL. Yeah, as in all together.

I'd say it was a success, wouldn't you?

-C
xxx

Beautiful Bolero... Part Deux!

Who knew there would even be a part deux to this post? Not this girl. But guess what - I'm getting my beautiful bolero!! No, I didn't win. I never win anything.* But I got lucky this past weekend (not like that!) and got an offer I couldn't refuse. The offer? "I can make you a bolero." So I thought long and hard about it... for like a milisecond, and that was only being like "whoa, is she serious??" and the deal was done.

Bridesmaid Amanda, Bonnie & I went to my bridal shop (where I bought my dress) last weekend because they were having a jewelry trunk show. Really all I wanted to do was try my dress on again, with some of the 800 green jewelry options I now have in my possession. My real dress won't be ready until April, but I never got any pictures of me in the sample! Done.

You like? :)

Sorry, the FH reads my blog!

So after that trip is when the infamous offer was made and we decided right then and there that we were taking a (10 minute) roadtrip to go get the fabric for said bolero! Done and done.

The fabulous Bonnie of Un de Six is going to make me my dream bolero. Why? Because she's awesome. Am I friends with a super cool clothing designer who is custom making my dream bolero? Yes. Be jealous. I would be if I were you.

:)

-C
xxx

*I really don't. Seriously, if I counted how many wedding-related contests I've entered (and subsequently not won) in the past 5+ months of being engaged I would probably cry. Ok, maybe not cry, but I'd at least get slightly annoyed.

Towering Above the Rest...

I went home to visit my ma this weekend/get some projects done since it was a 3 day weekend. It actually helped that my mom and bro only have laptops so there's no computer constantly set up to taunt me and distract me from getting things done. This week I'll be posting pics of a few things I accomplished/just want to show you. I know you can hardly stand the suspense. Try to remain calm.

Anyway, last week I saw this picture of a cupcake tower and got uber excited. You see, I have one that looks just like it! And it was FREE. That's right, FREE, and KICK ASS because it was my Meamaw's. I love incorporating not only repurposed items in my wedding (and everyday decor, might I add), but especially love incorporating repurposed Meamaw items. It helps me pretend like she's there in some way. I found it in her garden shortly after we were engaged and immediately thought, "CUPCAKE TOWER!" So to the right is someone else's cupcake tower in action (don't know where this photo is from, so unfortunately can't give it credit where credit is due, but someone posted it here on Project Wedding), and below is mine! I told you I'd be posting about my finds because I get so damn proud of them! *sniff*


It's funny how two (great) minds can think alike. I mean, people are repurposing things left and right for cake/cupcake stands, but it's really funny (to me...) that I just plucked this out of my Meamaw's garden, something she's had for a gazillion years, and someone else appears to have done the same thing (although I'm pretty sure she didn't take it from my Meamaw's garden).

We're going to paint ours black* and either do a semi circle around it like the action shot above or put some on raised cake platters... or both! Any suggestions for the overflow? Obviously we are having cupcakes. Sorry for ruining the surprise if you were planning on attending my wedding. You'll (probably) never guess what kind though! So there's still a reason to come :)

-C
xxx

*FYI, my wedding colors are several shades of green (duh) and black. White and off-whites mixed in as well. Painting lots of the thrifty finds black.