Mr. Engagement's wedding purchase

A few weekends ago we went to an estate sale for an antique store that was liquidating their stock in one of their storage spaces. We got up at some crazy hour in the morning (which for me means before 12:00 on weekends. before 11:00 on weekdays) and we stood out in the cold for our turn to enter the store. I walked out an hour later with a lamp, an easter trinkets and some old magazines to turn into some craft project. The check out lady mentioned that everything left would be half off tomorrow. So as I was leaving I was telling Mr. Engagement this and how we probably wouldn't be getting up that early again tomorrow. Well, another salesmen overheard me and said that we could place a bid for $1.00 more than half off and if the item did not sell tonight we would win it tomorrow! Well Mr. engagement had found some large metal bucket (excuse the description. I have no idea what this thing is or was) that he thought would be great as an ice chest. He had showed this to me but I didn't really remember it. I trusted his opinion if this is what he wanted. So we WON!! Ahh don't you love when you win ebay auctions! I guess that means no one else wanted it :). Oh well. Here it is. We might repaint the stand but we are either using this so people can get their own ice or to store some drinks.

This now sits inconveniently in the middle of our kitchen!

I'll probably paint the legs gold with some spray paint.

Does it surprise you what your FI picks out for your wedding? Where are you storing your wedding purchases?

Maps

http://www.funmapsusa.com/

I have long been in love with cartoon maps. I use to collect them as a kid when I found them. They were so whimsical. I loved viewing where I was going and where I had been as a cartoon. So when I saw the couture wedding maps I <3ed style="text-align: center;">

As they lay to dry. I had multiple gocco projects going on that night.

Because I wanted a little color I bought some water color pencils and colored them individually!! Yes, 100 little pieces of art!

Here is Mr. Engagement working diligently! (Don't be fooled, Mr. Engagement would rather be playing his playstation than coloring these maps)

The finished project!

These are actually going out with the STD cards. We plan to print information on local events and attractions on the back. Something like: "Make it a weekend trip!"

Any of your childhood interests make it into your wedding plans?

Would you please reply

The RSVP cards are done and they are beautiful. I hate to give them out but hey I'm suppose to get them all back! We went to paper source over the weekend and picked these lovelies out ! They are chocolate with gold envelopes. They went perfect with the whole invite set. However, when I got home logic hit me in the butt! How can someone write their name and reply on dark paper that doesn't show black ink! I wondered if I needed to return my purchase and start anew. :(. Then I got to thinking. What if I could write over the gocco ink ! I got out the ink and put a little on paper and waited for it to dry. Awesome! I just needed to redo the design with fill in boxes. I am in college I have been trained to fill in the bubble! This would work! Fresh off the gocco press!

Did you sacrifice your design for beautiful paper?

Ky vendors

If you're looking for a KY wedding vendor check out Kywedding.blogspot.com

Invitations: Part 1

The very first thing in the planning of my wedding I did was design my invitations. Before I even knew where or when I said, "What will the invitations look like?" I have to say I never really looked at wedding invitations I have received until I started thinking about my own wedding. Then I became obsessed! The evolution of this design has gone from a simple bird, to a simple tree, to now roses. I shall never look at another invitation again till mine are happily sent to their destinations. I fear I may change them again!! Over the period of designing an invitation I discovered the Gocco ! I am mad for GOCCO. I politely hinted to Santa and he delivered! I have been dying to try this little machine out. I read so many articles and contacted a few people about how to make the perfect Master. In the process I became possessive of my gocco bulbs and screen (think Elaine from Seinfeld and her sponges). I ordered my inks and extra bulbs and screens. I just couldn't "waste" them! So I decided that as soon as I set my wedding date I would print the invitations. Then I said well I could print the roses-- The wedding date doesn't affect them. So the last two days I spent printing these roses. It was a two step process. First I printed the the top corner rose and then let them dry over night, and then I printed the bottom corner.I was in love with this little machine!! ( I have since been coming up with every piece of stationary I could print that wouldn't need a date!) The print was beautiful and here I was a gocco virgin! I did screw up on a few prints but I said to the FI, who is more anal about those things than me,"if you expect perfection you shouldn't print them yourself. " Overall there are only about 3 that really I wouldn't send, all products of me forgetting to put a cover over the rose I wasn't printing. The hard part! I bought my cards on clearance at Micheals. They came with gold trim and matching envelopes, which seemed like a good buy. Therefore I couldn't just cut a new card. Also how did I print in the corner on a card that was gold trim? At first I had the FI taping the corners. He hated this! So after the 6th card we decided to make a make shift trim saver. This is hard to describe but basically it was a strip of paper that covered the border around the corner. I think it did a great job for 95% of the cards. It was just difficult to line everything up and tape it all down each time.

My beloved Gocco!

Here is a mock-up of what the invitations will look like. I have changed a few things.

Here are the cards laying out to dry (only the top half was drying). Do you see how meticulous they are lined up? That is Mr. Engagement. I would have had them thrown everywhere. The apartment was needless to say A MESS this weekend. The other half are in the drying racks.

What were you most excited about in the planning stage?

I'll tell you where you can stick it.

I'm not someone who brings cards to weddings. Do people do that? I don't know. I've never paid attention. Well just in case. I really liked the bird cage card holder and I had looked around for one in passing. Then I found this, searching the clearance aisle at Target! The box cost less than $3.00, which I figured was the right price for something I wasn't even sure of the need. The box was a gift box so I simply cut a slit in the top and "Project: Is there a need?" is done!

Do you bring cards to weddings?

Flower girl gift

Here are some bridal bunnies that I made. I made them even before I had a purpose for them :). Afterwards I thought they would be a very cute flower girl gift. You could add them with a small piece of jewelry or something else. I thought they were very cute. The directions came from Martha Stewart.com

What are you giving your flower girls?

Contact Card

These contact cards were inspired by the the tandem bike I saw in a Martha Stewart Wedding magazine. I thought it was so sweet and vintage. The question became how could I use them! Well everyone needs a contact card right? Like the day of the wedding I should be answering calls about how to get to the reception site! Well there are more uses for contact cards. First it will be a good way to get family members this information. We dont expect to change either our email or our cell phone numbers after the wedding. I believe that is too much hassle. Also they may be nice to hand to a vendor ? Plus it may give people another option to RSVP. Shockingly there are people who choose not to send those little cards back. Well maybe they will call and say, "hey, I am coming. I want the salmon." imagine those voice mails! Either way I think Martha inspires a lot of the unnecessary !
HOW TO: I bought the business cards at Office Max.
I wrote our contact information in Word and printed them
I then created the image side in adobe photoshop and printed that side
I printed way more than I will need but these the price to do these was very minimal.

Have you been so in love with an image it inspired a project?

US

So I haven't properly introduced ourselves and I thought the best way would be with a short Question and Answer:
Occupation?
He is an educator and I am a graduate student. No relation
Your engagement?
Just us, on a cold dark night surrounded by candle light
Perfect Date?
Chinese food and a movie (we are couch potatoes by heart and practice)
Symbolic flower?
Tulip (our first date ) Flower Meanings:

Tulip: Perfect lover
Tulip, Red: Believe me, declaration of love, fame
Tulip, Variegated: Beautiful Eyes
Tulip, Yellow: Hopeless love, There's sunshine in your smile

Ideal Wedding?
Small, casual, and laid back surrounded by family and close friends. Think: Outdoor fall picnic; hot apple cider; warmth; rustic vintage.
Favorite experiences together?
Taking paths less travel, exploring the beaten trail in the woods, the zoo, exploring the shore lines of Michigan, listening to him play the guitar.
Why we work?
I'm neurotic and he is patient. At the end of the day we make each other laugh.
Our strongest secret?
My tears make him cry and his tears make me cry.

I'm not one for country music but FI's idol is Bob Dylan (yes, he wants his first born to be named after him). I think Garth Brooke's voice is a little bit more... melodious?

Wedding Dream

A few nights ago I had a weird dream. The day of my wedding I decided I should get my hair done and so I started calling salon's to see if anyone had openings. The weather also looked like rain so I decided that I should get a tent. On the day of my wedding I was deciding about getting flowers. Also, I said, "well if we can't get everything worked out, I can just get married in a few weeks." This is not the first time I have had a wedding dream in which I passively didn't care about what happened! Any Freudian answers here? One side of me really doesn't care and then the other said of me is obsessed! I need to merge these two identities.

Anyone else have, weird wedding dreams?

Here are some other songs that I thought would be great Wedding Songs. I'll keep you updated when I find others. I also suggest someone to look into Billie Holiday songs!

Not Fire, Not Ice - Ben Folds Five

The Way I Am- Ingrid Michaelson

Sea of Love- Cat Powers

Music

I love music especially those songs with unique sound. One of the thing my childhood bride always wanted was classical music, but then I heard this!


From the movie juno! What do you think? I think it would be charming to have this playing as a precession song at an outdoor wedding, or as an entrance song to a reception. I do enjoy classical music , but then classical music sets a completely different tone to your wedding--a tone I am worried about having. Now, I may still go with the string instruments, but this is something I am definitely thinking about! Maybe I can find a bluegrass band to play this song :)!