Wednesday, December 30, 2009

DIY Tools Must Have

There are some things that every DIY Bride should have. Two of my absolute musts are a hot glue gun and spray paint that matches or compliments your wedding colors.

I'm a big fan of finding decor and making it better. You can always do a quick color change to any item with spray paint. There have also been many times that I have found great table decor then just added a beaded trim or crystals to make it pretty.

Always remember if your using spray paint, to use outside or in a well ventilated space.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Monday, December 28, 2009

Great Favors


This article I found from Wedding Paper Diva's, &^%technical error for link, is really great, because it highlights the one thing that everyone forgets...keep it simple. We all freak out when it comes to the favor because you don't want a gift that people just throw away. You want something that makes a lasting impression, something that people talk about. I have one suggestion if you are doing something edible. Think about the container. People are more likely to keep something that they can reuse practically.(even if it has your monogram on it) So, if you have decided to do something edible, because lets face it, is practical, then your container should be memorable.

OK, since we are dedicated to practical theory at this website, maybe you go to the fabric store and find fabric that is discounted or even quilting squares(super cheap) and make a little bag with satin ribbon.(all in coordinating colors of you wedding of course) Women can reuse these as jewelry bags to hold delicate jewelry. We would reuse these things because they can be tucked away nicely into a drawer. If you can splurge a satin fabric would be ideal.

Don't have a sewing machine, don't fret. A small bag can be hand sewn if you allow enough time. Don't worry if you don't know how to do hand stitch. Send me an email and I'll be more than happy to guide you through the simple process.

Monday, December 21, 2009

time sensitive

Hello My Faithful Followers

I just have to say that I know I've been regrettably absent from this blog, but the truth is that business has picked up dramatically for me and being the unstoppable one man show that I am, my time has been occupied else where. But don't think that I haven't been thinking about you all the time because I have. And I'm glad to say that I have a slew of new information and links for you that will be coming shortly. ( Thank God For Christmas-literally). I am in desperate for a little break and some much needed R&R. I say R&R but what I really mean is a slow down so that I can focus on some things in need of focusing. Just a teaser of things to come:

-expect to launch website around the first of the year
-Very exciting collaboration with brilliant Chicago Wedding Experts in January!(details to come very very soon on this exciting event, and I would love to see and meet all of you if I could)
-New designs/photo
-expect to launch Etsy store around the first of the year
-Blog update for my discovery of some very talented artists and crafters making some unique items you have to consider for your wedding

Wow! That's a jam packed list now that I look back at it. I hope I haven't set my sights to big! Never! Who am I kidding! I work best under pressure.

I do leave you with this one useful tip.
Are you a bride who has given herself at least a year for planning at this point in your engagement? Are you having a Christmas wedding? Maybe your having a winter wedding? Please take advantage of all of the Christmas decor sales that are going on right now! Think about this. If your wedding is in the winter now is the time to buy any kind of decor to fit your winter theme. For example, what are you going to put on your receiving table besides the guest book and gift box? You can get some gorgeous large hurricanes to accent your gift table. I saw beautiful silver ones at Pottery Barn on sale. I believe Micheals craft store had some large shimmer floral decor on sale. I have seen pearl accents, beads, trim, fabric, and many craft items that can be used for weddings on sale right now!

Here's an idea for a center piece; Large Glass vase(whatever style suits you). I personally like a shallow square vase. ornaments(you can get them now in just about any color)I'm using gold and Ivory and Chartreuse and a mix of fillers. By fillers try feathers. I found feathers in a gorgeous chocolate brown color. Lightly speckle the feathers in very fine gold glitter. Don't use too much or it will be gaudy over kill. Don't use a cheap glitter either. (come on...glitter is not very expensive so just do yourself the favor and get the better kind) If your stuck on what to get Martha Stewart has a great glitter line at Micheals Crafts stores or go to
http://http://shop.marthastewart.com/category/32263250881/1/Crafts-Party-Supplies.htm
Put these items together into your vase and you have a gorgeous center piece with tons of texture. I think over the holidays I'm going to try this one and post pictures.

Today I purchased this amazing gold fabric, super inexpensive because it's the end of the season. I'm hoping that before Christmas I can hem it and use it has a stunning table cloth for my Christmas dinner.

Anyhow, I hope that I have left you with something useful this evening!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Keeping Warm

So, here in the great city of chicago it pretty cold this time of year. I am on the hunt for fashionable yet affordable warm attire for brides getting married in the winter. If its something you made even better. Drop me a line and send me pictures or details and you could be featured here.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Friday, December 4, 2009

Must See

Attention brides,crafters, and artists. This weekend is the One Of a Kind show at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. This is an absolute must if you have the means to go. I believe tickets are $12. You never know what unique items. you will find that can be incorporated into your wedding. Ill be sure to update my! fabulous finds after the weekend
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Craft Fair Treasures Follow up


OK, so the treasure found at the craft show I went to this past weekend, is the pearl vendor I found. This was an older couple that only do craft shows. They don't have a website and I couldn't even get a business card from them. They had beautiful pieces and someone could easily have purchased one on the cheap for their wedding day. Much cheaper then what you might get at a jeweler. I did do some surface testing to see if the pearls were real. And I couldn't scratch which means even if they weren't real the odds of them chipping on your wedding day is slim. What I think can't be guaranteed is that you are actually getting your money's worth. However if your paying less for it maybe quality is as big a deal a say style. I do know from traveling to Asia that pearls do not cost nearly the same around the world as they do hear. Actually, in China you can get gorgeous pearls very cheap. When I was there I picked up a pink pearl set necklace, earrings and bracelet for about $12.00 with a gorgeous decorative clasp and everything. I also brought home a beautiful 3 strand Jackie O white pearl set for about $20.00. You would never be able to pay that here.

Now of course I love jewelers and I personally love Left Bank in Chicago and Raphael Jewelers in Glenview. What you get from a jeweler is guaranteed quality, service and style. All my point is that if you are a bride on a budget, you have too keep your eyes open and maybe be willing to go places you might not have thought about to get the look you want.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Craft fair treasures

Heading to a big craft show. I always love going because you can always find unique undiscovered treasures. Maybe wedding jewelry, favors, even shower gifts. Be sure to get a crafters card if you want to place large orders for let's say favors or something. Anyhow I'm off and will post my finds later.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Wedding Day Photos (FREE??)



In case you weren't sure, this site is devoted to budget savvy brides. I turn over every stone I can to bring you smart trendy ideas, that won't break the bank...OK sometimes we dream big here. I think that only leads to inspire us further in self expression. With that said, I must admit I came across something interesting while perusing the pages of Craig's list. Under the gigs section, sub category creative, I found listed tons of photographers offering FREE wedding day photography. The reason they are offering free services is so that they can build up their portfolio's. What an interesting Idea. Here's were I warn you...STOP DROOLING AND PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!

This is not for everyone and I must say that I do believe in you get what you pay for. That said, if your the bride who's having a very small, quaint wedding, or maybe you were going to forgo the cost of professional photography, then this is for you! What do you have to loose. I had a girlfriend who was getting married for the third time,(second marriage for her husband) and she was having a very small wedding (maybe 30 people tops). They were diving to northern Michigan to get married at a waterfall that was very sentimental to them. They did not have any professional photographers and relied on friends and family to supply them with their pictures. Yikes! what if none of them turned out?? Needless to say they had some nice pictures but nothing close to what a professional or someone trained could give you.



I think that you could probably get some really great photo's. I know that when I was in college, I had friends who were getting their degrees in photography and they were turning out some really beautiful pictures (enhanced in photoshop too). I could very well see someone with very little professional experience coming out of school needing to do something like this. Creative yet not experienced. Which also leads me to my next point...

Be careful. Not having professional experience leaves you open to all kinds of pitfalls. Make sure you get a written contract, out lining payment schedules, who is their backup in the event they are not available the day of your wedding, and whatever you expect from their services. It would be nice to know how many prints you will be getting? Do you get your own set of digital negatives(pictures on CD)? Do they provide printing services? Do they have contacts for book binding( your wedding album)? How long do you get their services for?

Just be sure to think this thru before you go this route. It would probably be good to shop a professional photographer or studio first, so at least you know what your options are and what questions to ask. I would not suggest this for the bride who is very concerned about every detail being perfect. Leave that to the professionals. After all, that is what your paying for.

If you have any questions about this post please leave your comments here or email me. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has actually done this or if they have any additional comments that maybe I unintentionally left off.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Music Play List- What Not to play

From: @theknot
Sent: Nov 3, 2009 3:17p
8 wedding songs for your do-not-play list: http://bit.ly/4vW5PM
sent via web
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/theknot/status/540188433

1. YMCA
2.Chicken Dance
3.Stayin Alive
4. Every Breath You Take
5.Total Eclipse of the Heart
6. Macarena
7. My Heart Will Go On
8. Mony Mony

These songs should just be retired but I know there are more to add to the list. What songs are you sick of hearing at weddings?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

To Add to that note. When selecting your play list, stick to your guns about the songs you want played. Sometimes you have to trust your intuition. Last year when we were planning our wedding I insisted on playing Lady GaGa and my DJ didn't want to get it for my play list. It was when she was brand new and only had 1 hit single. He told me she would never be around by next year and it wasn't worth it to down load. Yeah well....The rest is history, he downloaded the song, played it and she's a mega superstar a year later!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

New Things...

I know... I've been promising new designs for a while and I'm just going to say they are coming. I've been a busy girl. Customer's come first always, and I have an exciting new batch of Brides I can't wait to feature here. So please be patient, the new designs are coming soon. You have to remember, I'm the buyer, designer, photographer, editor, blogger, website designer and the list goes on...

What is new is that you can now follow me on twitter at @sugarspiceink for updates. I also have a new facebook fan page that you link to at the bottom of this page.
Starting this week i will be featuring local vendors on this site. I will do my homework and make sure they are worthy before they get posted.
Anyhow, I promise not to disappoint and it will be great!

XOXOXO

Beyond Events (BeyondEventsChi) on Twitter

Beyond Events (BeyondEventsChi) on Twitter

Are you having a holiday party!
I had this info sent to me via twitter and and some of the items sound really yummy!
Enjoy!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Tradition or Not?

I've been hearing a lot of brides talking about how they are not following wedding traditions and are going to throw traditions right out the window. Phrases like "screw traditions" have been said within my circle. But should we worry about following traditions or not?

Well, I have always applauded any bride for originality. I look for trend setters and seek out those who are willing to put new spins on old things. But that's just it, new spins on old things. New spins are what make you say , "oh wow, that was really clever!" But totally disregarding traditions, I'm not so sure about. Of course it depends on what your doing. For example. We decided not to have a traditional wedding party. However when it came down to the ceremony, we did have both of our mothers acting as our witnesses or the traditional best man and maid of honor. When it came down to the reception, no we did not introduce a wedding party because we didn't have one, but we introduced our families. They were the most important people in our lives and helped get us to this point. We also decided to have our brothers and sisters sitting with us at a traditional head table. The point is, no we did not follow tradition, instead we interpreted tradition to be something more meaningful to us and I think our guests were able to relate to that.

You have to remember that while your wedding is for you and your groom, you have invited a lot of people to this party. They are looking forward to celebrating with you. Traditionally speaking they will be giving gifts and you want them to enjoy themselves too. Keep your guests in mind as you are going to be the hostess for the evening and a celebration as grand as your wedding should be enjoyable for everyone attending.

What are your thoughts?
Local company

Dilly Lily's Photos - Happenings of the Dilly Lily | Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3289419&id=39796922492&l=9bd0709727

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Gorgeous Bracelet

I was browsing some of my favorite wedding sites today and I found this listing for MEG Jewelry on theknot.com. The Patricia Bracelet is stunning. Where do I start! The way the light catches this is stunning. The Champagne ribbon tie is timeless and sophisticated. It is available with other ribbon colors. Wouldn't it be sharp with a Robbin's egg blue ribbon. That could be your something blue! http://weddings.theknot.com/Bridal-Accessories/49858/detailview.aspx?id=49858&type=21&Accessory+Designers=MEG+Jewelry&TM=21

Wedding Professionals request

I am looking to partner up with other wedding professionals to provide my brides with a preferred professionals list. I do already have a few of the slots filled but I'm always open to suggestions. If you are in the Chicagoland area please respond to this post or email me and we can find out if a partnership would work us both.

Thanks!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

One Year Anniversary

Our one year anniversary just passed and we did the standard, out for dinner sort of thing. It was really nice. We have been together for 9 years total so to tell you the truth I really didn't want a big dramatic production of a day. I can understand if you do, but I think life gets so busy, it was nice for us just to have a quiet evening together. Once we got home we opened the fantastic bottle of wine we got on our honeymoon (yes it traveled home with us in our suitcase) and sliced up the cake from our wedding. (to my surprise the cake was still really good. I thought for sure it would have freezer burn)

I guess I didn't expect to feel the giddy pleasure of reminiscing about our wedding day, which was a nice and unexpected feeling. We talked about how I woke up so early because I couldn't sleep and I sent him a text at like 6:oo AM. He of course had no trouble sleeping at all. And it just went on like that all day for us with little bits that we would remember together. You put so much time and effort into one day. It should be something that you remember forever.

The other thing we did once we got home, which also was initiated by my husband, was a reflection on our relationship. We asked ourselves the questions of where we are, what do we need to work on, what did we want to do in the beginning that maybe we have forgotten about. Truthfully, I was shocked that this was his idea, but i guess if there are things that maybe need to be addressed in a relationship now is the time to speak up and he benefits from it. All in all it was a really great conversation that got us talking about all kinds of things that we don't because life gets so busy from day to day.

The last thing we did was read the special messages we received at our receptions. We decided to do an alternative guest book. Since we were married in the fall, i found a beautiful ceramic pumpkin cookie jar and asked my guest to write us a message that we would read each year at our anniversary date.

I want to know what you have done to make your anniversaries special. What traditions do you have?

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Programs

We offer programs to coordinate with the overall feeling and theme of your wedding. We specialize in bringing your vision across multiple media in your wedding. That means your initiations, programs, place cards, favors and just about anything printable will all have the same overall theme and feeling.

This particular program was printed on shimmery pearl cover stock and paper. The bow was a copper metallic. Copper played a very big part in this wedding an is used in all of print and not print elements of the wedding. It also has a printed graphic on the front that was also used on the invitations. The graphic on the invitations were hand embossed and finished with copper crystals.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Cutting the Cake


Cutting the cake is small but meaningful detail for the evening, it makes for really sweet picture opportunities, but when is the right time to do it? Now, tradition says that it should be done at the end of the reception. Then the cake is packaged up and sent home with guests as a favor. Old superstitions suggests that if single women sleep with the the cake under their pillow, their own wedding will soon follow. Boy am I glad things have changed over years! That was a new one to me when i looked it up. However I can't tell you the last wedding I have been too where they actually cut it at the end of the night. It's kind of a waste. You (the bride) have hopefully been enjoying her night and dancing and mingling with guests are now tired and not likely to be as fresh faced as you were in the beginning of the reception. Not to mention many of the guest have gone home.

We think the perfect time to cut the cake is right after introductions. Your wedding party gets introduced and then when you and your husband are introduced, you walk straight to the cake and have your moment. All eyes are still on the two of you, everyone is clapping and congratulating you. Nobody is distracted with dinner, and you have your perfect photo moment. Not to mention, I had a friend who decided to to this towards the end of the dinner service and there were actually service carts and dirty dishes in the pictures. Nothing better then metal trays and plates in your wedding photos, right. What do you think?

Monday, October 12, 2009

About Me



Sugar and Spice Ink is my creative company. I have been making things all my life. When I was little I would find inspiration in just about anything. If it glittered it was golden. Today, the smell of ink , feel of beautiful paper, paint and just about anything you can create with inspire me.

I help Brides like create the wedding that reflects who they are. This done by carefully coordinating all the pieces of your wedding to fit together . I also offer Al a Carte services too. If you only need invitations, but not anything else, I'd love to help. If you are a "Do-It-Yourself" bride, I know I can help you too. When I was getting married, I wanted to do everything myself to save cost. I only wish that I had someone to ask questions when they popped up. I am here to offer my services to you. If you have questions please ask. I know we can tailor a plan that fits your needs.

We also offer a huge array of custom products that are for every day use like birthdays and anniversaries or for just  about any reason there is to celebrate!

A side from a lifetime of artistic experimentation, I attended 3 years at the Illinois Institute of art for Graphic Design. I later transferred to finish my BFA at the University of Illinois.

If you see anything on this site that might be right for you, you can email me for more info. Please pardon my dust while I'm designing my website!


Sincerely,
Danielle
danielle@sugarandspiceink.com

Monday, September 28, 2009

Welcome Back

We have returned from our holiday and can't wait share all of our finds with you! Check back later today!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

On Vacation


Just a quick note, we will be on a short holiday and will return to our informative postings next week! Please check back for inspiration you know you can't live with out! I will be on the hunt for new and unique items to feature on this blog. Hopefully I come across a new jewelery artist or a unique gift of some sort. I will miss you all dearly!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Being Your Own Boss

Just have to say I'm sorry. When your sick and you have your own business, there is nobody to fill in for you. I hope to have some new postings this week.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Invitation Etiquette

Just a note on Invitation Etiquette... I know like things aren't hectic enough but you have to make sure you give yourself and your guests enough time to respond to your invitation and to have an accurate head count. You typically want to send out the invitations six to eight weeks in advance, with your RSVP cards do back to you two weeks before the wedding. That will insure you have plenty of time to make your seating chart and finalize your escort cards.

Make sure that you start organizing your invitations a month before you plan to send them out. There's a lot to do, properly addressing the cards, stuffing the envelopes and insuring proper postage. Proper addressing is something I think people underestimate a lot. It actually can take a bit of your time to make sure you do it correctly. If you have any questions with how to do this or you are unsure, just reply to this thread with your question or you can email me if you have a more detailed or personal question.

When you address the invitation please keep in mind that they must be hand written. Absolutely no stick on labels. Not even for small intimate weddings. Although evelopes with computer printed calligraphy is becoming very popular and is becoming more accepted. If you have the ability to do this on your computer and you printer is set up to feed envelopes then this might be something you can look into. Hand Calligraphy is always the most elegant solutions, however if your on a tight budget there is so much you can do with nice pens. It just requires a bit of practice first before you actually address you invitations. We do offer calligraphy for you invitations and if this is service you would like please email me for pricing details. We think you'll find it far more affordable then you think.
We also offer computer printed envelopes as well.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

hair piece fix



We found the perfect piece, but the beads were not right. they didn't match the gowns unique vintage glam look. So we replaced the beads with antique pearls and it made all the difference.
If you have found something like this that you love but it's not quite right, don't dismiss it. Send me and email or reply to this post and we can talk about how to make it perfect for you!

Flowers


This is just gorgeous. Love the eggplant Cala's in this one. It's the end of august and if you still love pink, go for it, but the eggplant color is perfect for transitioning into fall. This picture was taken from the CS brides magazine.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Mini Paintings

For an alternative to the traditional table number, we had mini painting with tree names. And the family was seated at the "Family Tree" of course. Each painting was hand painted to match the wedding colors of copper and bronze we added the color eggplant together as an accent. The table easels were spray painted to match as well! We can do the same for you or change it up to fit your theme.
Photos are courtesy of Timothy Whaley and Associates.
Email me for more info.


Delila Invitation

The Delila invitation is so modern. It features a beautiful hand drawing and shown in a petal pocket. Delila is customizable for your wedding. It is available in any color combo or size. Delila can be used as your wedding theme and the drawing can be used on any printable surface. Delila is lovely for a summer or spring wedding. If you would like more information or samples of Delila, please email me!








Jacklyn Invitation

The Jacklyn invitation is a very simply sophisticated design. It centralized it's main focus on you, your monogram. This invitations is wonderful because it can be customised for your wedding. Whatever your colors, or if you prefer pocket invites, that works too. The other really great thing about this is the monogram itself. We can put this on any printed surface to tie your theme together and make your wedding uniform. Jacklyn also features a beautiful hand embossing embellishment. That embellishment is also available as a printed graphic as opposed to the hand embellishment. If you are interested in the Jacklyn invitation please email me for details or samples.














Annabelle Invitation

The design for Annabelle was created for a very special bride. She is having a rustic wedding that is going to have gorgeous landscape views and we wanted the graphic motif to carry that feeling of rustic throughout the wedding. This design as well as any custom design can be used in place cards, programs , napkins, menus and just about anywhere that you can print. The Annabelle is shown in a pocket invitation, however it can be made a single mounted card or just a strait invitation. The choice is up to you. A beautiful feature of this card is decorative corners.
As with the rest of the invitations featured this invitation is completely customizable for your wedding. Any colors, shapes or sized are possible. We can also change anything on this card to suite your style as well. If you interested in more information or samples of Annabelle please email me.


















Alexis Invitation



This invite says over the top chic. Love it if you like to overdo like I do! This stunning invitation boast 3 layers of exquisite paper. The backdrop is hand stamped with the motif. The brown in between accent color is a beautiful shimmery espresso color. The motif on the invitation itself is hand embossed. The best part are the gorgeous crystal accents that are hand applied! The best part is that this invitation is totally customizable to fit your wedding. Any color , any shape, it's even available in pockets or petals. If this isn't dripping with enough glam for you then we can add more, like coordinating ribbon for example. If there is something you don't like, we can remove it. Please email me for more information or for samples for the Alexis Invite!



Saturday, August 22, 2009

Excuses

I'm just wiped out today. We all over work ourselves at some point. I promise the new invitations will be posted this weekend for sure!
Love you all!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

what to do with rain?

It's pouring today...the fact is it might rain on your wedding day.
I suggest a big white umbrella. They are not that easy to find, so start looking now just in case. Your best bet is an online umbrella vendor. Don't even try looking at local stores, you just won't find them there. The other thing is ask your limo driver if they have them and if you can use them for the entire day, not just for the time of their service.

There is nothing betting then candid photography of you in all white and then your lime green(insert any color) umbrella over your head. It's the little details that make all the difference.

Oh and don't get a parasol, which is sold at most wedding stores, unless you want to get soaked.

I'm just going to wish the rain away today... you can try the same, but you might want to have that umbrella just in case.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Dress Yourself


A dress needs to represent you. Ask yourself who are you? What do you love and more importantly what kind of things do you gravitate too. Are you a no fuss kind of girl? Easy going, laid back. Then you'll want to do something more elegantly simple. Refer to our dress blog from 8.8.09 on the J. Crew dress for a good example. Other wise, if you are like me and my personal motto is, "why do…when you can overdo," Then something way more extravagant is due. I love these cause they say wow…without, "good god the bride has lost her mind," kind of effect.

Now, I know what your thinking. You say, "but I thought this site was about practical weddings," and it is. So I am going to refer you to my favorite bridal boutique, White Chicago, www.whitechicago.com .
I got my designer dress there and did not pay a fortune for it.

This first dress picture here says, "Holy Romantic." This dress is stunning. I love the way it hugs to the body accenting the bride's figure. I say goodbye to the days of "Snow Beast". Anne Barge did a beautiful job on this design!

This second dress pictured here is also romantic but in a totally different way. !, it's the color of the dress. 2 the tulle on the bottom of the dress is shaped differently so it lays differently and it says So whimsical and fun. Vera Wang beautiful as always.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Happy Birthday

I just want to say happy birthday to my mother. The one woman who has influenced me most and who i owe my success too.
XOXOX

Quote of the day

"Take each other for better or for worse, but not for granted."
-Arlene Dahl

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Un Wedding Cake


One note on wedding cakes.
So, I'm always looking for unique alternatives to the traditional wedding. (Don't get me wrong I love traditional, but always, and I stress always, with a twist).That said, I came across this photo on Martha Stewart's website. I love this. It's so romantic. I also love this because it's NOT the cup cake tower. I just really feel like the cupcake tower has been done so much that it's dead or becoming a dead trend. When the cupcake tower came out we were all like, " oh, that is so cute." Now when I see one I'm not really that thrilled with it. And I don't think it's inventive. I've gone back to the, "show me what you can do with the cake." Definatly, not saying spend ten thousand on it. But honestly, if a bride shows me her really simple classic cake that maybe her aunt made speacially for her, I'm more likely to oogle over that because it says so much about the gesture and makes for great memories.

That said, this is winner in my book.


Saturday, August 8, 2009

Dress


Honestly, I'm shocked this is a J. Crew Dress. Any bride is sure to be stunning in this dress. Very classy. Super affordable.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Quote


"Our Deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our Deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, " Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"
-Marianne Williamson

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

metro poppy



This adorable invite was inspired by the beautiful fabric I found in may. This is customizable to fit your wedding colors and is available in several print formats to accommodate any budget savvy bride. Let me know what you think!

Saturday, June 13, 2009


I foung these cute earings on my trip. We love the idea of something blue. http://www.exclaimjewelry.com/ . Love it. such cute stuff.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Inspiration


I love this piece of fabric I found at the craft store today! It's my newest inspiration. I'm thinking mini makeup clutch! Which would also double great at a bridesmaid gift for the big day. I also absolutely love the print and I've started sketching things for stationary. Watch for the pictures to come. You never know where you are going to find you inspiration for the day!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Wedding Crafting

We are on a little retreat, trying to get some new inspiration for new material. Have to say that we love the handmade. It adds such a unique flavor to your wedding. By all means get inspiration from the Internet, but if you can try to make your favors. And remember, you can always consult us for help. We're glad to give you pointers!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Save the Date Cards

I received a save the date card today and let me tell you, it was less then thrilling. Ladies, your wedding is a personal reflection of you and totally sets the tone for your wedding. Do your homework and think it thru before you just send any old thing out. I'm not saying that you have to spend a million dollars for little old save the dates, lord knows I was a "Do it your selfer", and saving is the key. Try to be a little creative. Weddings today are so different, guests get excited to come when you make it interesting. Boring says, oh here's yet another wedding that i have to shell out cash for. There are so many online save the date stores that offer inexpensive ways to get the word out. Try looking up save the dates on wedding websites for inspiration if you choose to take the crafting route. Oh, and I'm always willing to give creative suggestions, just ask!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Spring 2010 Dresses




So, I just finished browsing thru some of the spring 2010 Collections, and I have to say that I'm a little disappointed in some of my favorite designers! (I won't name names because it just bad tact to do so) Really, a few of them just missed the boat. There were however a few that did get it right, They emphasizing beautiful shape and texture, really showing off the diversity in a woman's style. Romantic, sexy, alluring just to name a few beautiful qualities. So I'll share a few designers that I feel are worth sharing. First is off is Carolina Herrera! Love the sexy shape these dresses give. I don't know about you, but I'm really over the snow beast style. Bravo...I'll try to add more every day.