happy new year!

via D Weddings

I hope you have a happy and safe New Year's Eve.

I'll be at a wedding toasting a beautiful couple and a wonderful year!

What will you be doing?

the wonderful world of twinkle lights

I really couldn't think of anything else to do with a strand of white lights...but Martha could. 

I think this would be an easy way to jazz up some ugly reception hall walls and cast a beautiful glow on your wedding.  You could even add some signatures of your lovely guests and hang it in your living room.  Really when else do adults use cursive?

Start by painting a stretched canvas from an art-supply store (Martha used a pale-pink latex paint). Then plot out your design by penciling dots on the back, keeping them a half-inch apart. Gently press an awl through each dot to make a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the bulb (we went with strands of mini white Christmas lights). Press a bulb into each hole; secure each with craft clue.

via Martha Stewart

sky lanterns

When my Husband and I were married I had grand visions of white fountain fireworks over our wedding.  I thought this dream would come true when we picked a beach in Mexico for our wedding, but somehow fireworks were ridiculously expensive there too.

A few months ago while at dinner with some friends near the lake we saw these beautiful sky lanterns floating into the air. Hundreds of years ago, sky lanterns or Khoom Fay as they are traditionally called, were launched during festivals to envoke feelings of tranquility and to appease their worries A way to send their dreams into the sky. Now they are popular for all kinds of celebrations.

Oh how I wish I would have thought of these 3 years ago. Legal, safe and biodegradable!

You can find them all over the web, but here are some from Skylighter for a great price.

Have your guests write their New Years hopes and wishes and send them at midnight!

new years wedding favors

I have my eye out for a beautiful letterpress calendar for 2011.  I've always loved Snow & Graham's mini desk calendars.  Each month a different card to display...yes duh, that is how all calendars are I guess. 

If I were having a New Year's Eve wedding, or even a wedding in the beginning of the new year, I would hand out calendars as favors.  Although Snow & Graham calendars may not be cost effective, I think the concept is. 

Pick 12 of your favorite images, and print them on 5" x 5.5" cardstock with the calendar month and dates.  Pack them in a clear cd case and wrap with a bow! 

via Snow & Graham

Don't forget to mark your wedding anniversary for all to remember!

new years and tinsel

You're probably starting to pack up all your pretty Christmas decorations this week, but don't put those tinsel garlands away just yet!  There is still some celebrating to be had.  What says New Year's Eve better than sparkles?


These cute DIY tinsel wreaths can be hung around your home, or on the table top around a punch bowl or candle.  Get the directions and make your own here. 

via Creature Comforts

If you're short on time, you can puddle those garlands around anything for instant decor.

Throw in a few ornaments for extra glam!

via here

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

It's not too late for a Christmas wedding ;)  All the decorations are up, the family is gathering.  What a lovely gift to be a part of!

I've been holding this wedding idea close to my heart for awhile now.  What a perfect excuse to wear rubber boots for your wedding.  This isn't a real wedding, but it could be.  Chelsea of Frolic created this beautiful home winter wedding for Project Wedding. 

If I ever get my white house, I will gladly paint the doors red for your Christmas wedding.

See more photos here

Have a very Merry Christmas!

vintage frame seating chart

Beautiful mismatched frames grouped together to form a seating chart.   Perhaps later hung on your wall with your wedding photos?  Gorgeous.

via no source. sorry!

bride casting call: martha stewart weddings

Martha Stewart Weddings is looking for Brides for a new wedding reality show, could it be you?  According to Seattle Bride Magazine they'd love someone from the Pacific Northwest! 

Are you engaged?  Okay, check!  Do you love Martha Stewart?  You do?!  Me too.  Do you want Martha Stewart Weddings to help you plan your wedding for free on a new web series? 

Get your bride hiney in gear and audition.  Email Dana at MarthatStewartWeddingsCasting@gmail.com with your Name, Age, Photo of you and your fiancé, City, Wedding Date, and explain why they should pick you. Be sure to include your engagement story! If you don't hear back right away, follow them on Twitter: @dLtCasting

I hope you win!

christmas penguins

I was searching for an appetizer to make for Christmas Eve and came across these cute little penguins.  Aren't they adorable?  I don't want you to make them for your wedding, but maybe sans hat for a baby shower or kids party?

•20-50 jumbo or colossal black olives, pitted

•20-50 small black olives

•1-4 carrots (try to find fat ones, so the feet come out large enough)

•1 (8 oz) package cream cheese or neufchatel cheese, softened

•1/2 t. dried chives

•1/2 t. dried parsley

•1/2 t. dill weed or dill seed

•1/4 t. garlic powder

•1/4 t. onion powder

•1/8 t. salt

•1/8 t. black pepper

Directions

1.Mix the spices into the softened cheese; put the cheese mixture into a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off.

2.For the body, select a jumbo olive. If it doesn’t sit straight, slice a bit off the hole end so it sits nicely. Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. If you want a big white area for the belly, cut a 1/4 inch wedge out of the olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive; smooth with a spatula or butter knife.

3.Slice the carrot into 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece for the beaks.

4.To make the beaks thin enough so they don’t break the small olives, slice the beak pieces in two, so they are half as thick. You’ll have plenty of pieces for this, so if they don’t all come out, it’s OK. To make the head, cut a slit in a small olive and insert the beak. If the beak is too wide, cut off a little bit of the wide corners (see example below).

5.Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set the head, hole side down, onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick. Some people like to use frilly toothpicks for a more festive look.

feet and beak

If you're going for the winter look instead, just add a roasted red bell pepper scarf!

*via Emily Bloss

knits for your wedding

Knit details at a wedding would make it feel so cozy.

Anna's wedding bolero

knit vases and votives via Design Sponge

knit ring pillows via Martha Stewart

I would probably serve big pots of soup and crusty bread.

And most definitely would have a hot chocolate bar.

Oh and of course my bridesmaids would get knit mittens and scarves!

flea market inspiration: glass bottles and christmas lights

Okay, this is the last day of flea market inspiration.  Are you bored or do you want to visit a flea market now?

I was smitten with these carboy glass water bottles turned into lanterns.  You can find these guys at salvage shops, or new at wine supply stores for about the same price.  Maybe you've already been collecting them.

I picture them lining the aisle of a rustic barn wedding.  What would you do with them?

When your wedding is over you can always make wine or brew beer with them

If you're hardcore, try moonshine ;)

flea market inspiration: glass globe lanterns

We all fell in love with these cute little lanterns made from glass globe light covers.  I've seen a bunch of different ones at local salvage shops but have never had a use for them.  Until now.

All you need is a good tree and a dozen of these for the perfect twilight ceremony.

I think they'd be an easy DIY.  I'll definitely be giving them a try next summer for my patio.

flea market inspiration: mason jar herb pots

Look how great these little herbs planted in mason jars look tied with a festive ribbon.  Imagine a bunch of different sized jars and herbs gathered together in the middle of your table.  Wouldn't they be adorable centerpieces?  Your guests could even take them home and plant them in their garden.

Meagan of Meagan Duranleau Designs playing Vanna
Stop by her blog and see her flea market find!

I'd love to take one of these home!

flea market inspiration: snow globe centerpieces

Look at this cute little snow globe that someone made for display at the 2nd Saturdayz flea market.  Isn't it adorable?  It may not be functional, but we thought it would make a darling centerpiece for a vintage winter wedding. 

You could DIY using a glass globe fixture cover from the hardware store, or a maybe even a fishbowl. 

Just make sure you glue that lid on tight so when little Tommy attempts to shake it up you don't have glitter everywhere.

Or you could group a variety of homemade snow globes together.  I like these ones below from Anthropologie last year.  You could even make that little snow man hold your table number.  I love multipurpose centerpieces!

via well worn

You will need:

*A jar of your choice (with a lid)
*Figurines or jewellery
*Anti-rust sealant for metal pieces
*Clear-drying epoxy
*Distilled water
*Dash of glycerin
*Large silver or white glitter (smaller versions will float at the top)

Steps:

1. Use clear-drying epoxy to adhere your piece to the inside of the lid. Let dry per instructions.
2. After the epoxy dries completely, fill your jar with distilled or boiled water (at room temperature, of course).
3. Add just a dash of glycerin so the "snow" falls slowly.
4. Add as much glitter as you like. If you don't like the look of glitter, you can usually find faux snow at      craft stores.

5. Screw your lid on tightly and enjoy your snow globe!

Your own little winter wonderland!

flea market inspiration

This past weekend I went to the 2nd Saturdayz flea market with my Sister and a friend.  I could have bought a lot of things, but walked away with nothing but inspiration.  That made my Husband very happy.  There were so many great wedding finds I thought I would share them with you over the next few days.

 

This display was set up with old paneled doors.  Wouldn't it make a beautiful altar?

I love the chippy paint and white lights on top.  So romantic!

mistletoe altar

Everyone seemed to love the idea of being proposed to under mistletoe yesterday.  How about getting married under some?  I think this fancy mistletoe from Martha Stewart Living would be a beautiful simple altar. 

 Tape mistletoe and rice lights to a branch and spray silver.

Just make sure your officiant doesn't accidentally step under it ;)

holiday proposals

via here

I don't know what it is but I'm a sucker for proposal stories.  The other day at Trader Joe's the lady bagging my groceries ended up telling me her proposal story.  It involved an ice penguin and the ring frozen inside.  I said "I bet you ran to get the hair dryer" and she said "heck no, I started sucking on it."  I don't know how I attract these people but we had a good laugh.

I came across these Christmas proposals online and thought they were worth sharing.


1.  Wrap it in a large box and give it to her on Christmas. She won't be expecting it since a ring would normally be in a small sized box. You can fill the box with other romantic trinkets to throw her off more. Or you could fill it with peanuts (the styrofoam kind) and she'll have to search throw them to find the ring.

2.  Play Santa and be sure to tell her what Santa wants for Christmas.... for her to be your wife!

3.  Put it in her Christmas stocking. You can put a candy cane through it with a 'Will you marry me?' note attached.
4.  Wrap it in box after box, ending with a big box with a big bow. If you've seen the movie 'Serendipity', you'll know what we mean.

5.  Give her 5 wrapped boxes with a different word (will you marry me) in each box and the ring in the last box. Make sure she opens them in the correct order!

6.  Spell it out on the roof (or side of your house) with Christmas lights. She'll be surprised to see your decorations this year!

7.  Place strands of Christmas lights on your lawn spelling out "Will you marry me?" so that she sees it when she drives up.

8.  While decorating the Christmas tree, put the ring around a glass ornament and hand it to her to hang on the tree.

9.  Many cities decorate with lights for the holiday season as well as offer carriage rides through parks, the city center, etc. Take your sweetie on a carriage ride under the holiday lights on a cold night. You'll be able to snuggle together on a blanket in a romantic environment when you propose.

10.  Place the ring in a small box with her name on it and hang it on a branch on the Christmas tree. Have some one 'find it' after all the other presents are opened. As she opens it, pop the question!


11.  If you live in a warmer climate, create a magical holiday proposal with SnoWonder, which looks just like the real thing! What could be better than a snowy, romantic proposal?

12.  Go to a park or downtown area that always has a great Christmas light display. Take him or her on a horse drawn carriage ride and snuggle up under a warm blanket together. Hire a Santa ahead of time and have him stop the carriage halfway through the display (preferably in a romantic area) and ask for your sweetie's name and then tell him/her that he has a little something for them. Have him pull box after box out, each one having a small toy. Finally, after several presents, have him find the real present with an "Oh, here it is." When he hands the ring box to her, get down on one knee and ask her to marry you.


13.  Have a step stool ready and ask her to put the star on the top of the tree. When she climbs up, have the ring on the limbs by the top for her to find. When she finds it, grab her hand and ask her to marry you.


14.  Hang the ring box like an ornament on the Christmas tree. After the last present has been opened, tell her there is one more surprise present for her that she needs to find on the tree. When she finds it and opens the box, be down on one knee.


15.  Take her out to look at Christmas lights around the town. As your light viewing is coming to a close, take her to the top of a hill , where you have lights spelling out "marry me?".


16.  Buy a personalized christmas ornament, such as the globe ornaments that have a saying on a piece of paper resting on some festive glitter inside. Have the message in the ornament say "Will you marry me?". Wrap it up like you would any christmas present and let your sweetie open it on Christmas day. As she is opening it you'll have plenty of time to fish that ring out of your pocket, and get on your knee of course!


17.  On Christmas day, hang a mistletoe in the door way of your bedroom. After she's seen the mistletoe and you kiss, come back later and hange the ring in the middle of it. Then, when she goes to get something, follow her and stop her under it and say look at the mistletoe. When she looks up she will see it. Ask her to marry you, then share a kiss under the mistletoe again, your first as an engaged couple.



Do you have a holiday proposal to share?

pine and clementine placecards

Clementines and pine are classic holiday fare.  You wouldn't think of leaving them out of your winter wedding, would you?  I love how simple these pine twig placecard holders are.  So easy to DIY.  How about a pretty wrapped clementine to lead the way to your spot?  I think any fruit would be fabulous, but if it were my wedding I'd replace it with a Terry's milk chocolate orange.

via Martha Stewart and Shelterpop

white gateau

La Petite Coquin has a way of putting dresses and cakes together that makes my heart flutter.  My intention was only to post this beautiful sophisticated cake mixed with girlish charm, but it landed in my photo file right next an adorable dress I had saved and sent to a friend.  They were a match made in heaven and I couldn't post one without the other.

via the knot

image unknown

Both clean, white and showing a little leg. 

diy trellis aisle runner

I've been thinking about getting a new area rug for awhile now.  I'm very indecisive.  I'm always drawn to patterns and fell in love with this one.  The size reminded me of an aisle runner.  How amazing would a patterned aisle runner look?  And then I thought...I could do that.  But since I'm already married...maybe you should do it.

via Elements of Style

I've seen lots of great trellis stencils online.  Like this one from Etsy shop Cutting Edge Stencils.  Or if you're awesome with an exacto knife, you can make your own. 

via Cutting Edge Stencils

You can buy rolls of canvas from an art supply store, but they are a little pricey.  If you can sew a straight line on the sewing machine, I'd spring for canvas drop clothes from the hardware store.  Cut them in half and sew them together.  Hemming the edges is optional.  Hopefully you're getting married in a small church. ;)

Once your canvas is ready, pick your color of liquid acrylic paint and have at it.  Let your pattern dry, then apply two coats of polyacrylic varnish.  Voila!  A tres chic aisle runner!

oh christmas tree

Can you believe it is December already?  Only 3 weekends until Christmas!  Even though I'm a bit reluctant for the miserable winter that has been forecasted, Christmas is my favorite holiday.  When we were younger we would bring canned food to Dr. Tom, our dentist, in exchange for a tree seedling.  Every year my Dad would plant the seedling along the fence on the side of our house.  Eventually they lined the entire property and grew to be huge.  My Sister and I had a lot of cavities ;)

If you're a winter Bride and looking for a great gift for your guests, how about tree seedlings?  I like how they are displayed in the champagne flutes below.  Just make sure your guests don't take home the glasses too!

via A Green Wedding Resource

Check out Porky Farm for fir seedlings 100 for $100!

If you're also an activist... you could always request canned food in lieu of gifts.  Just an idea ;)

invite ornament

So you didn't listen to me about those virtual invitations/save the dates, and now you have a ton left over because you could only order in increments of 100 right?... ;) 

My Sister found this cute Christmas ornament that someone made with an extra wedding invitation.

via welcome to heardmont

I love this idea!  I could probably fill up a whole tree with the invitations I have left.

pure barre

Searching for the perfect pre-wedding workout or contemplating your New Years resolution?  If you live in the Seattle area, you're in luck!  Actually anywhere else you're pretty lucky too.  Pure Barre has opened two new locations in University Village and Bellevue.

The Pure Barre Technique is a total body workout that burns fat and produces lifted seats, toned arms, thin thighs, and flat abs by fusing elements of ballet, pilates and weights in a 55 minute intense session. It is the most effective, fastest, yet safest way to change your body.  According to their website. 

I've taken a class and can definitely say I haven't felt anything like it, even after years of ballet and yoga under my belt.  It's low impact and the perfect way to tone your whole body.  Now that there is one closer to home, I can't wait to take more.

The best part is, you can take your first class for free December 1st through the 7th!  If you don't live in Seattle, check out their site to find a location near you.

Have you taken a Pure Barre class?  What's your favorite workout plan?