One last project before the big V-day weekend! These Valentine felt pins are adorable for your little ones or for attaching to a gift. I don’t see my husband wearing one, but I might just think about altering these into fridge magnets or maybe making them into a garland instead!
A big thank you to the Purl Bee for this lovely tutorial.
Another sweet treat! These adorable Sweetie Pies would be perfect for no-nonsense homemade dessert! I love this idea because it’s easier than making a huge pie, and provides lots of extras for giving away to neighbors and friends!
This tutorial comes complete with a recipe, and downloadable template with instructions courtesy of Twig & Thistle!
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Since the weather is still pretty nasty out in central Michigan, I think my hunny and I will be picnicking indoors—but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this fun Valentine Kit! It’s packed full of the necessities to get you through that special day… a bottle of wine, some flowers and even a mix cd, among many other goodies. I know many of you will be snatching up this idea, with a few customizations of course (sparkling grape juice for me)!
Thanks to Design*Sponge for this one!
Thanks to the Creature Comforts blog for this handy idea and tutorial!
Using Random.org, I've selected two winners from our pool of comments to receive a copy (each) of Real Simple Weddings 2010. Thank you all for participating, it's great to see what's challenging you during wedding planning!
To start the week off right, I thought we should go with a sweet post from the recipe box of Martha Stewart. These Brownie Heart Cupcakes would please any valentine, because really, who doesn’t love to overindulge in chocolate once in awhile?
The recipe seems fairly straight forward, but if you’re tight on time, just get some instant cake mix, icing, and premade brownies (cut into heart shapes of course) to complete this look. Thanks Martha! Yum!
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I had the opportunity to review a copy of Real Simple Weddings 2010 this week, and I have to say, I’m incredibly impressed by how much information is packed into every page! If you’re just starting to plan your wedding, and need a solid resource for everything wedding related, I would highly recommend this!
Real Simple Weddings is going to be your wedding planner in a box, essentially. Along with beautiful photos and ideas, it has a section covering every aspect of wedding planning, simply laid out right in front of you, along with a ton of common questions answered!
This magazine is an absolute must have, and because of that, I’m giving away a copy of Real Simple Weddings to one lucky reader. Comment with one of your toughest wedding planning tasks, and your first name, before Monday, February 8 at 5:00 pm EST. A winner will be randomly drawn and posted the following Tuesday.
With tea-length bridesmaid dresses being all the craze, brides are focusing more and more on what their maids will wear on their feet. Of course, the dress is most important, but the shoes, oh the shoes! If you don’t want a matchy-matchy look, you’ll probably have to get a little creative in this department.
My lovely sister-in-law is planning a July 2010 wedding, and the topic of shoes was brought up recently. I thought about it for weeks and have finally come up with some ideas.
Here's a little background info: She’s going with an airy sea glass color pallete with a little bit of blush thrown in for accents. Bridesmaid dresses will be tea length (not this exact dress) and in a light shade of ice blue.
Solution: Metallic shoes are always an option, as they can be considered a neutral color. These first two pumps would bring in a nice warm shade of pink and gold to the mix. I also like the second two strappy heels because they’ll keep the focus on the dress. Because these are made with such a small amount of material, you’ll barely notice your girls have shoes on at all! Finally, the last few selections have more of a classic look—a blush pink or ivory pump.
And don’t forget a cute pair of flip flops for later in the evening!
Sources: All photos taken from J Crew Wedding.
Baker’s twine is one of my favorite accessories to have on hand—it’s handy for everything! I think I like it more than (dare I say it) ribbon! Here are a few handy examples of ways to use baker’s twine in your wedding—favors, invites or place cards. The options are endless, and lucky for you, the twine comes in a variety of sweet colors. I love how it adds just a pinch of color, and how practical it is at tying up an invitation suite, or favor box. Not to mention it goes with just about any style!
The twine isn’t hard to find out on the internet—try Etsy for small quantities and wholesalers for bulk. Even if you end up with leftover twine, it’s perfect to accent small gifts, holiday cards or even decorate with around the house!
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
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It seems like flowers and centerpieces are constantly evolving. There are so many more new and innovative ways to decorate your ceremony and reception sites, more than I even had merely 3 years ago!
While perusing Martha Stewart Weddings the other day, I ran across a few of my favorite, breathtaking floral inspirations. I'm just amazed at the sheer number of ideas out there—use it to your advantage ladies, and check out Martha's 50 favorite centerpieces now!
Have you ever gotten to that point where your google reader is so backed up that you find yourself just avoiding it all together? Over the holidays I spent little to no time on my computer, as the real world took ahold of me. I hate to admit it, but I actually pushed that Mark all as read button once or twice. I know! I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t bare to look at those skyrocketing numbers any longer!
Well the good news is, I’ve finally caught back up with some of my favorite daily reads, and have come across some wonderful ideas in the process. Check out this post on Have It Sweet via The Inspired Bride last week.
Not only would these gourmet sweets make a yummy favor, they’re beautiful enough to display for the world! Don’t even think about tucking these little morsels into a paper box, they definitely need to be in a clear cello bag at the very least! Or display a variety of them in vintage candy dishes for a gourmet candy buffet.
While I’m sure you have a very distinct look for your wedding day, what about rehearsal? It’s still very much a part of the wedding activities, but many brides and grooms are opting to keep it a little more casual and fun. I love these dinner invitations from Cheerupcherup, perfect for a more laid back rehearsal dinner!
One of the few perks of living in a frigid tundra like Michigan, is that the temperatures get low enough to do projects like this one, found via Design*Sponge. I’ve seen something similar to this at a recent family holiday party — it was so welcoming to be greeted with flickering ice votives as we strolled up the driveway. In this instance, I really like the addition of some little green sprigs frozen into the ice lantern, it adds a nice pop of color and pattern!
If you’re daring enough to have a wedding in the middle of a Michigan winter, bless your heart. These ice lanterns would be a great addition to welcome guests into the chapel — staggered on the stairs, or at your reception venue — lighting the entry way.
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I just saw this idea on one of my new favorite blogs garnish. The idea and photo came from Amy Atlas via the iced blog, to give due credit. Anyway, how cute is this giving tree! Here it's intended use is for a birthday party or holiday gathering, but I love it even more for a wedding! Placing a little treat inside a simple paper bag and tying it with pretty ribbon would be more than enough to make guests jump for joy.
It seems you can DIY it for little to nothing, as long as you have a few substantial branches hanging around your yard, a bulk supply of white goodie bags and some ribbon. This would really dress up some simple sweets like jelly beans (in your wedding colors of course) or chocolate covered cherries! And if you have the time and resources you could seal them all with a customized sticker to say thanks.
If you’re having a fairly large wedding, it may be smart to plan for two giving trees, or just hang a few dozen goodie bags among the branches and the rest can be situated in tidy rows below it.
I love the romantic glow of candlelight, there’s just nothing like it! I saw a few DIY projects in some of my favorite crafting magazines over the holiday break, and they inspired me to add a little light to my home decor.
You could definitely transform these ideas into wedding décor; like these tall glass pillars with table numbers, or add a sprinkling of tiny votives around each table. I love the idea of using vintage papers or sheet music to decoupage the votives as well, it adds an elegant pattern to the mix.
There’s about a million different ways to cover a votive, so look into it and see what fits your style. Just make sure it won’t catch fire halfway through the wedding!
Welcome back to reality (for those of us who are back to work this glorious Monday). I took a week off but still managed to feel a little frazzled when Christmas Eve came around. Luckily both my husband and I have amazing families, who made the running around and last minute shopping totally worth it. We spent a lot of time visiting and celebrating a really great year together.
I had a list of little projects I wanted to accomplish over Christmas break, and not a single one was completed. That’s okay though, it’s the thought that counts, right? Here’s an easy one that I found over at lil sugar — hot chocolate on a stick! I intended to make these ahead of time and hand them out to all the kids at our family Christmas party, but they could totally fit the wedding favor bill as well!
Pretty these up by wrapping them individually in a little cello bag and tying them with bakers twine or a colorful ribbon.
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