Yep, it has a skull on it...

So... saw this Betsey Johnson Treasure clutch online and just couldn't resist. I'm sure one wouldn't classify it as a "bridal" bag - but, really, the only thing bridal about me is that I'll just happen to be in a wedding gown next Saturday.

I actually found it another place online for a great deal (half what it costs on the BJ website) - but it needs to be shipped, so now I'm nervous that it won't get here in time!

I thought I wouldn't even need a little bag for the wedding - I was hoping my mum could hold onto my crap... I mean "bride essentials" in her clutch until after the ceremony, when I could dump everything in my new husband's pockets ;). But, as we went over the list of all the nonsense I needed to have with me (lip gloss, compact, contact lens case, rewetting drops, etc.) it became clear I needed a bag of my own.

But all the bridal clutches I came across looked the same to me. A friend was going to let me borrow hers (which is beautiful, and vintage inspired, it would have fit in perfectly) - but I didn't catch her before she left on her honeymoon! :)

I'm really excited about this little bag too - especially because I one, have a clutch problem, and two - will use it well after the wedding!

DIY: Programs

Ok, so these aren't technically done, we're still assembling them - but I just had to share!

The design for our programs is a modified version of an accordion fold program that I found on Martha Stewart. The difference is, I got the program information to fit on 4 tall panels, thereby using only one sheet of legal sized paper folded twice.

I'm in love with the covers - which were letterpressed by my friend at blush studio (I'll promote the hell out of her website... when I design it!). The letterpressing really gives a rich feel to the programs - they are beautiful!

We're really coming to the finish line here. People keep asking me if I'm excited - I think I am - but I just don't have time for excitement right now - with everything that needs to get done! But I'm really looking forward to all of my friends and family seeing how much work we've put into this wedding! I just hope everyone has a really fantastic, memorable time (and it's the best wedding they've ever been to... what? I had to sneak that in...).

DIY: Monogram Damask Canvas

I should subtitle this "The Project That Nearly Killed Me."

Hands down, this was the most intense project we envisioned and executed for the wedding - and here are the final results (I apologize in advance for the crappy photos in this post, and my whole blog - I only own one digital camera, and it's on my iPhone, which is notorious for not having a flash...):


























This canvas is a massive 7 feet wide by 12 feet tall. It's actually 2 smaller canvases (6x7 feet) stuck together since at full size, we couldn't get it out of our house or transport it. This project took weeks of labor - the frames were handmade, canvas was hand stretched, and the design was hand painted. And here's how we did it all:






















Step One was making the two 6 x 7 frames out of wooden slats. I think we used 2x8's - FI would know better - I just pointed to it at Home Depot and said "that." :)


























Step Two was laying the frame onto the canvas fabric. We actually used 109" muslin, which is lightweight and easy to paint. FI used clamps to keep the fabric taught and even.


























Step Three was stapling the fabric to the backs of the frames, keeping an even pressure the entire time so the fabric doesn't bunch or wrinkle.























Step Four was trimming all the excess fabric away - making sure to leave at least an inch after the staples. Painting the canvases will shrink up the fabric a bit, and you don't want the canvas pulling off the staples.


























Step Five was painting the canvases white. We used a base, non-latex water-based white paint right off the shelf from Home Depot. Unfortunately the only area in our house big enough to do this indoors (because who needs grass and leaves stuck in wet paint?) was our living room/dining room space, so it meant taping up plastic over our walls to the ceiling and moving the couch/table/everything...




















Step Six was transferring the design onto the canvases using an overhead projector. Thankfully I work for a college and they let me borrow a nice lightweight one. I made the design in Photoshop, then printed it out on transparencies. This was a tricky step, since the two canvases needed to line up perfectly (or nearly) in the middle.

















Here is a photo of what the bottom canvas looked like after the design was transferred. It's like a huge paint by number!































Step Seven was actually painting the canvases. This was the longest, tedious, most time-consuming step. I'm not going to sugar-coat it: it sucked. Here are some pictures of the painting as it progressed:

































The last step was clamping the canvases together and filling in the middle so everything lined up. Then, painting over any mistakes (and there were some!) over with white paint. And we were done! (Photo at the top is of the finished result, with both canvases together)

We will be assembling the canvas on site, and may pad the top with some foam so it doesn't rub against the wooden paneling in the reception room. We're also going to get some cement blocks to rest against the bottom so the canvas doesn't slide forward.

This was DIY to the extreme. Thankfully, I have a background in stagecraft, so while the project was daunting, it wasn't unfamiliar. I just can't wait to see it all set up!

DIY: "Break the Ice" Buttons

So, I'll probably get a "tacky" card thrown on the field here - but I LOVE this project!

Awhile back, my brother and a friend were joking about the single folks advertising themselves at our wedding. We laughed about handing people nametags that said "single" or something else that was completely inappropriate (because if you know me and my brother, our humor is rarely appropriate). I had seen a button-maker recently online, and an idea was hatched.

As many of you know, our wedding is going to be done cocktail-style. That means no large tables with formal seating, and opportunities to chat with people at your table you otherwise would never meet. Our groups are clique-y, no denying it. The last thing FI and I want is different groups huddled in corners. What to do? Break the Ice buttons!

My brother came up with a list of hilarious phrases ("Who cut the cake" - "Always a bridesmaid" - "I don't know anyone here" - the list goes on, and gets very cheeky!). I designed the buttons in Illustrator, then FI cut them out using a large round craft punch, and assembled the buttons using our Amazing Button Maker.

The plan is to have these up at the bar. There are tons of options, so people can find something humorous to wear - this gives perfect strangers an "in" to start up a conversation and get everyone mingling.

I think they are adorable - and hilarious. It's so us. The quality isn't as great as store bought buttons of course, but it was an affordable at home option that gave us great results!

If anyone is interested in doing something like this, I'm happy to share my button files, just let me know if you'd like a copy!

Something Old: My Charmed Life

Originally, I wasn't going to do the "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" tradition. But, I found a way to work some Irish traditions in there, plus some family history, and now I'm sold on the whole deal :)

For my something old, I'm going to wear my charm bracelet, but as an anklet, because the little charms get caught in the lace of my dress (last thing I need is a snag!). Charm bracelets are a tradition in my family, given from mother to daughter. My mother started mine when I was eleven years old, and I've been collecting charms my whole life. Here's a breakdown of my charms:

1. BELL - Circa 2009. New for the wedding, and Irish tradition states that a bell should be rung on your wedding day. In the future, if any there is any discord or disagreements between you, the bell should be rung again to remind you of how happy you were on your wedding day. This little bell has a heart motif and actually rings, so I'll gently jingle down the aisle!
2. HORSESHOE: Circa 2009. Also new, another Irish tradition is a bride carrying a horseshoe down the aisle, held up, so the luck doesn't run out.
3. LUCKY 13: Circa 1993. This was a birthday gift on my 13th birthday, or, as I like to call it, the day I officially wasn't a kid anymore (in my eyes at least, ha!). Believe it or not, all I wanted to be as a kid when I grew up was an adult! Just couldn't wait to be recognized as a person, and not an adolescent. I thought that would magically happen after 12, so 13 was big for me. (The jury is still out on the matter of, if I am, in fact, now a grown-up.)
4. CAROUSEL HORSE: Circa 1995. This charm is from the Flying Horses in Martha's Vineyard, where I spent many summer trips visiting family on the island.
5. COMEDY/TRAGEDY MASK: Circa 1994. I was very active in theater from a young age. When I starred in my first "big" production, my mother got me this charm - the masks spin around! (FYI, the show was "Alice in Wonderland" and starred my uber talented friend, Aimee Lynn Chadwick, who has since gone on to be a movie star!)
6. PINEAPPLE: Circa 2005. Pineapples traditionally mean hospitality - I got this little charm on mine & FI's first trip together to Newport. It was the first thing he bought me :) (That wasn't edible...)
7. COWBOY BOOT: Circa 1991. My first charm, my mother got the boot in the bracelet on a trip to Texas.
8. BIRTHSTONE HEART: Age unknown. This charm is incredibly special to me, it is my birthstone, and was on my great-grandmother's charm bracelet. She and I were close when I was young, and nearly shared a birthday (hers is July 3, mine is July 4). When she passed away when I was 14, my grandmother gave me the charm.
9. FLAMINGO: Circa 2001. From one of my many trips to visit Florida family - Busch Gardens and Sea World are two of my favorite places on earth.
10. PIRATE SHIP: Circa 2006. This charm is from my first trip to the Outer Banks with FI's family. Blackbeard's ship, Queen Ann's Revenge, sank off the coast and there are many pirate tales and landmarks all over the banks.

I also have an item that could work as both "something old" and "something borrowed" - my grandmother is letting me use one of my great-great-grandmother's handkerchiefs. I'm so excited to carry wonderful history with me as a bride.

As for the other items to be fulfilled, my "something new" could be anything else that day - my dress and veil are both new. And my "something blue" is a lazy attempt - my eyes are blue, and I carry those with me always, so I'm just going with that!

DIY: Manzanita Trees

Sorry - I've been MIA for a bit, but with good reason - we are in serious DIY mode and are cranking out projects left and right. I'm going to try to take some time every day to update on what we're working on, and what we've completed.

First up are these great Manzanita Trees we made! 

The trees are part of the cocktail hour decor, which is different (but complementary) to the reception decor. The largest tree will go on a big round table in the cocktail room, which will host the stationary displays. 

These smaller trees will go on the four high-top cocktail tables in the room. These tables will have black linens, and orange pintuck toppers (another DIY project!).

Supplies:

• Branches (we purchased ours from Save-On-Crafts and eBay. I preferred the branches purchased from eBay - they were larger and less expensive, but we combined everything together to make the trees)
• Planters (large orange one was purchased at Home Depot, small black pots are from A.C. Moore)
• Styrofoam cubes, large and small
• Plaster of Paris
• Clear zip ties
• Reindeer Moss (orange moss was also purchased at Save-On-Crafts)
• Floral tape
• Brown & Bronze spray paint 
• Brown kraft paper or newspaper

I'm sorry I didn't take step by step photos of these - FI actually spearheaded this project and got caught up  in making them, but here are the details:

• Step One: Bind the branches together using clear zip ties so all the branches are secure and nothing falls. 
  
• Step Two: Drop a large foam cube into the planter and insert the branches. Make sure the branches are in a few inches and do not sway or move.
• Step Three: Quickly mix and pour the plaster of Paris so that it covers the foam cube and secures the branches in place. Hold the branches in place if needed while the plaster sets (FI used some bungee cords to hold the tree securely).
• Step Four: Once everything is dry, tape brown paper (or newspaper) over the planter, making sure the lip and outside surfaces are covered.
• Step Five: Inspect the branches - if any are loose or broken, use floral tape to wrap them tightly.
• Step Six: Spray the entire tree and plaster with the dark brown spray paint. Wait until that dries, then lightly coat the tree with a bronze spray paint, being careful not to coat the branches heavily, or they will drip.
• Step Seven: Arrange moss to cover plaster.

And viola! You're done! For the smaller trees, we just used the left over branches, repeating the same steps as above on a smaller scale.

Originally, we planned to light the large tree, and purchased small LED pop lights. But, the plaster took up more room than anticipated in the planter, and there wasn't room to pop in the lights. I'm hoping it will look fine regardless! We also thought of adding flowers or crystals to the tree - these can easily be added using floral tape. I even have a whole bag of latex orchid heads that we thought we were going to use. But, in the end, we liked them so much without any additions - clean and simple.

A Wicked Good Bachelorette

This past weekend was my bachelorette party! Outside of the norm, my brother actually planned my party - and he did an amazing job!

First we hit Shabu-Ya, a Japanese shabu-shabu (or hot pot) restaurant. It was a tiny little funky place, and we got our own little area sectioned off behind hanging bead curtains - it was pretty cool. Boring as usual, I stuck with my old standbys (crazy maki and gyoza) - but several folks got shabu and it was so fun watching everything cook in the broth right at the table.

Next we hit The Donkey Show. Have to admit, I was skeptical when my brother mentioned this to me. All sorts of inappropriate connotations came to mind. BUT - it was AMAZING! It's basically Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream set to disco. If you haven't gone, go, and get floor tickets. The show takes place around you - you are constantly dancing and moving and being pushed around and sexed up by fairy go-go boys.

Ali (Bridesmaid and Blogger) and I loved how the acting roles are all played by women (who occasionally played men) - since we went to an all-female college and were active in theater - this was something very familiar to us! It was just fantastic - we got up on the stage and danced, and there are now more than a few embarrassing shots of me on facebook. But I loved every minute! (The above photo is courtesy of my brother, who caught the butterflies falling - they also shoot out glitter confetti which we were still finding stuck to us the next day...)

After the show, we walked over to Hong Kong. At least, that's what I think it was called. The drinks at the A.R.T. were strong... anyways - I remember really yummy scorpion bowls. We stayed there for awhile, but then made our way over to Toro in the South End. This place is a favorite of ours, and right around from my brother's house, so we could all stumble home.

The next morning, we all met up again at Beehive for a delicious brunch! My mom even came into the city to join us, and meet up with her date for the wedding ;)

I was in rough shape, no lie - I don't drink very often - but after a little dozing on the couch, I was ready for our first dance lesson that afternoon! FI is way more trainable than me, I have to say. I thought I'd breeze right through it since I'm a decent dancer. But, I'm a "natrual" dancer - never counted out steps in my life. Thankfully, we aren't looking for a routine, just to get comfortable formally dancing together. And we have 3 more lessons - we're supposed to be doing "homework" every night! But I'm sure I'll update more on this later - stay tuned!