Guest book, guest mat, or guest tree? February 8, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Ceremony, Crafting, Design, Details, Guest book, Guest mat, Reception, Wedding Planning.3 comments
A few months ago I got creative in making a gift for a friend’s wedding….I hand burned her name and her wedding date into a set of wooden spoons. (DIY tutorial post coming soon)
The whole project got me thinking of all the great things I could do with my fun Hotmarks tool. I love the look of burned wood and would just love to use my woodburning skills somewhere in wedding project land. Then, a couple months ago, during one of my Etsy lust visits, I came across a seller’s site who had a similar vision to mine, Inspired By Marie. This seller used their woodburning skills in a way I had not thought of yet, on a Wooden Signature Mat.
How awesome are those!? I really fell in love with this idea and think it would be perfect to use on our big day. I believe I can totally recreate my own version of this mat with my own spin on things. I have already custom-burned a cutting board (DIY tutorial post coming soon) so I can’t imagine it would be much different. Though I love this idea, there is still some debate. I also like the idea of having a fancy pants guest book. The same seller also makes great woodburned guest books, which are pretty snazzy.
The biggest downside to having a guest book is that it won’t be an instant display item. I like the idea of how the guest mats can be mounted to the wall to be displayed for years to come. Then, there is also the possibility of the Wedding Tree Guest List:
I love this idea too! The only worry here would be guests running around with green thumbs after they leave their prints.
So what do you think? Guest book, mat, or tree? I am currently leaning towards the guest mat and hope to post possible designs soon.
Did you or do you plan on going for a non-traditional guest book?
My beautiful, perfect dress has been ordered, but….. February 4, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Design, Details, Wedding Dress, lace.5 comments
…I can’t help but wish I had partaken in more dress shopping excursions before I found “the one”.
I know it may seem crazy to some brides, brides that are overwhelmed by the hours spent pulling jeweled encrusted piles of taffeta and satin over their heads. But, for me it was something I built up in my head as this uber-tastic experience. One where I would be with all my besties and both my Mom and future Mother in Law. We would laugh and giggle at the overly puffy princess dress and ooh and ahh over the ones that looked great.
The thing is I had such high expectations for my dress shopping excursions that I didn’t stop to think of how impractical my ideal was. I blame the endless number of Friday evenings I spent watching TLC’s’ Say Yes To The Dress. In most episodes, brides come prepared with their entourages and spend hours trying on dress after dress after dress.
In reality, the bridal salons I went to had limits. I couldn’t try on every dress in the store and I could and would not spend hours on one appointment. Another downer was learning that the samples in most shops aren’t available in larger sizes.
Round 1
Here I am during my first dress search in July at David’s Bridal: I think I tried on 5 dresses total that day and only one was photo worthy. On a side note: I didn’t have a great experience at David’s. I felt like I was being pushed out of there as soon as I came in. The associate was not helpful, she had no advice on shapes that would flatter my form or styles that would work for me. I was lucky to have my sister there to help find dresses because the associate just wasn’t cutting it.
Look at me with my hands on my hips, I can’t tell if it’s attitude or my attempt at hiding the arm fat.
And here I actually have a smile on my face. I really liked this dress, but didn’t love it. It had a great fit, but there wasn’t enough going on, it was too simple for my wedding day.
And here’s a picture of the train (please ignore back fat, the dress was a bit snug)
Round 2
Here are a couple pictures from my second round in dress shopping at a local salon in my hometown around Thanksgiving. I was really excited about this trip because I had lost about 7lbs since my last dress shopping trip. I was really hoping to feel super confident and picture perfect in these gowns as opposed to my last trip. (Side Note: During my last trip I had a mini-meltdown and got overwhelmed because I was not comfortable with my appearance or with how the dresses were fitting)
This time around though, things didn’t get better right away. Because the shop was smaller, most of their samples were size 6-8 unless the dresses were 18+. I was very nervous about this at first because I thought I would have an emotional break down like I did in the last trip. Fortunately, I didn’t…the sales associate was very attentive and worked with me to pick dresses that would work for my figure. She assured me that even when the samples were small I would be able to get a good idea of what the dress would look like in my size. I only tried on 3 dresses that day!! The third one ended up being the one! I only have pictures of one of the gowns to show you (Mom is still learning how to use a digital camera and didn’t realize she wasn’t taking pictures of the first dress)
Here I am with an uncomfortable look on my face because there is a woman behind me pulling the gown tight. (ummm did she just touch my butt?) This dress was actually too big!
Okay, feeling a little more comfortable. (Wow look at how much longer my hair is compared to the last trip….maybe it will grow enough!)
But, no dice…this dress wasn’t the one for me. I liked the overall fit, but wasn’t a fan of the color (it was way too white) or the neckline (too straight across). And, sure enough the associate was right…..I put on the size 8 sample of my Maggie Gown and knew it was everything I had wanted. It had the sweetheart neckline, lace details, and a little bit of sparkle. (sorry I just started daydreaming a bit)
I won’t post a full out picture just yet, but here is her train. Isn’t the train just lovely?
How did your dress shopping trips go? Did you have a short shopping experience like me? Did you have any melt-down moments? How long did it take you to find the one? Once you ordered your dress did you wish you were still shopping? Also, does anyone else hate the lighting in bridal salons?
Wedding Weightloss Update… February 3, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in 5k, Fitness, Life, Wedding Weightloss.4 comments
In lieu of WWWW (Wedding Weightloss Workout Wednesdays), I will be updating you all on my weightloss. (I figured too much workout and weightloss info in one day would be overkill.) Overall, I think I had a pretty darn good month as far as weightloss and fitness goes. And it really has me looking forward to the month ahead. Last month I showed you the progress photos, which were a big hit. It was a great feeling to hear all that positive feedback and to actually see a noticeable difference in my appearance. I don’t have any progress pics for this month, but I do plan to add some more on occasion (perhaps next month?). However, I do have a pic of me trying something new.
Here I am skiing for the first time (surprisingly I didn’t do so bad):
Since January 8, 2010 these are the changes in my measurements
- Chest: 0.75 loss in inches
- Hips: .75 loss in inches
- Neck: 0 loss in inches
- Waist: 1.50 loss in inches
(Live Strong recommendations for measuring)
* How to measure: Use a standard tape measure.
Neck: Measure around your neck’s circumference.
Waist: Measure a half-inch above your belly button, or at the smallest part of your waist.
Hips: Measure around the biggest part of your hips.
Chest: Measure just under the breasts.
I am pretty damn excited about these results!! I know I have lost lbs., but I also feel like my body is getting slimmer (muffin-top is going away.) I was super surprised to see such a change in my waist measurement, 1.5 inches is way more than I expected!! I was even able to get back into an old pair of jeans that I hadn’t been able to wear for over a year. It’s a pretty great feeling! :
Weightloss:
Since 1/8/10 I have dropped 3.4 lbs, which brings me to almost 13lbs lost since I started!!! (approximately 2.5lbs per month)
I know I could be losing more weight, but slow and steady wins the race right? Yes, this is true, but I can’t help but feel I need to amp things up. I know I am not 100% focused on the goal and that if I make changes I would be losing more weight.
Workout Update:
If you recall, last month I set some goals that I wished to accomplish during the month…Unfortunately I didn’t accomplish all the goals I set, but I came pretty darn close.
January Goals:
- Keep better track of my diet using The Daily Plate: I had tried my best to track my diet everyday, but it took time, time that I didn’t always find. I know, it sounds like excuses, but it’s true.
- Go the gym 5X per week for Cardio Workouts: :/ I did a pretty good job about getting to the gym 4X per week, but I wasn’t always able to make it 5 X. This is something I need to focus on this month.
- Run 40 miles total for the month: I surpassed this goal!! I ran a total of 43.69 miles this month!
- Incorporate a new lifting program: I have been a bad girl and haven’t gotten around to designing a new lifting program. It’s been tricky to find the extra time since my runs have been longer.
- Add morning workouts 2-3X per week to squeeze in new lifting plan Fail
- Be able to run for a solid 20 minutes: Another goal I was able to surpass! I was able to run 25 mins (2.5miles)!! WOOOTWOOT!
This month, I really amped things up on the treadmill and was very pleased with my increased endurance. I never thought I would make it 2.5 miles without needing a break, but I did and I am proud. My routine hasn’t changed much this month, I am still doing the interval running with less walking and I still add on extra cardio with the bike or elliptical. What has changed is that I am trying new things. I have continued my weekly sessions of Zumba and have added a new fitness class, BodyCombat. I have only been to one BodyCombat class thus far, but I must say it’s going to do wonders for me! I liked the intensity and the good feel of sore muscles the days after the class.
I am really looking forward to the month ahead because I have some new goals to reach and a 5k to run.
February Goals:
- Run a 5K without walking
- Run 60 miles during the month
- Add a new lifting program (incorporate 2-3 X/week)
- Do cardio workouts 5X per week
- Track my diet on the DailyPlate
- Drop 8lbs
For those of you readers on the weightloss journey how was your month? Did you hit any speedbumps? Are you seeing progress? What new things have you added to your routine?
Wedding Photographer Love… February 2, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Ceremony, Details, Engagement Photos, Photographer, Wedding Planning.add a comment
I am sorry to postpone my monthly wedding weightloss update, but I figured I would save that all until tomorrow and stick it in with my Wedding Weightloss Workout Wednesday. Anyhow, I want to talk about my wonderful wedding photographer!
In my research for a wedding photographer I had many ups and many more downs. I would find a photographer I thought was incredible, but there was a catch, that catch was $$$$$. Nearly all of the drool worthy photographers I found were well above my price range. Each time I got a quote my heart broke a little. And then there was the other issue of when I found a great photographer I loved at a great price they were already booked for my date. (heart breaks even more). And even worse was when I would find available photographers in my price range that were just not good at all.
Lucky for me, there was a silver lining in the ever-growing rain cloud. I stumbled upon Anna while browsing the services section on Craigslist. A few clicks later and I finally felt I found what I was looking for. I quickly shot her an e-mail inquiry to see what her rates were and whether she was available. Then, I waited. Fortunately, Anna was very good about getting back to me right away. And, the news was good news!! Not only was she available on my date, but she was also very affordable and a fellow alum to my alma mater. We met up sometime in November to talk things over and go over a contract and things went great. Her photos looked even better in print and she had a demeanor that I look forward to working with.
Here are a few samples of her work that you can find on her blog: Anna Simonak Photography
I am pretty excited to see what she can produce for us and can’t wait to find out! We are hoping to have an engagement session with her in June so we can get an idea of how we feel having our photo taken by her. As e-pic veterans I am also hoping things won’t feel quite as awkward this time around.
And though I am thrilled to have her as our wedding photographer part of me wishes we could afford to have a second shooter. I feel guilty that she is going to be running around all day trying to capture every moment. I also like the idea of having two perspectives and seeing the collaborative effort in the final product. In a fortunate side note…one of my beloved guests, my older half-sibling, Tony is an amazing photographer. My father initially had wanted me to ask him to do our photos, but I could not bear the idea of bestowing such a grand task on someone who was supposed to be a guest. So in a way, it will be like we have a second shooter.
Here are some examples of photos he’s taken at weddings:(you can find them at Photos by Carlo)
What do you think? Am I lucky or what? Did you have a hard time finding a photographer? What was the most difficult part?
Welcome to my big, not so white, crazy family… January 29, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Family, Life, Love, Relationships.3 comments
One thing that “C” really needed to adjust to when we first start dating was my family. See the thing is I don’t have a small family….in fact, my family is considered to be quite large under most standards. I am second in line of six children and “C” is an only child. Becoming a part of my family has been a huge transition for him. Not only is my family large, but it is kinda “crazy”. I have four brothers all of which are loud and rambunctious (especially when they are all under one roof). My father is Peruvian and has a cultural flare about him that is not so easy to understand when you first meet him. He is stubborn, blunt, very outspoken and lacks an eye for subtlety (which, I am told is a cultural thing….apparently, it’s completely normal in Peru to openly tell a relative they look fat!). My mother on the other hand is like me, quite and soft-spoken until the situation overwhelms her…we are what most would call “pushovers”. My sister is somewhat of a diva (for lack of a better term). Looks are very important to her and what’s even more important is getting her way.(I think she may have the middle child syndrome, 3 is sorta the middle of 6 right?) And the most tricky part I have found in having such a large family…it’s very hard to get a group picture where everyone is present.
Here is a shot from 12/08: (From left to right) Dad, Bro #1 “E”, Mom, fiancé “C”, Bro #3 “P”, Me
And a nearly complete pic of all the kids taken at my cousin’s wedding 6/06 (left to right): Sis “H”, Bro #2 “C”, Bro #4 “P”, Bro#1 “E”, “E”s ex-fiancé, Me and my fiance “C”
**missing from this pic is bro#4 “N”
It’s funny seeing us all collectively, we really do look quite hispanic…it reminded me of a time when we were all younger trailing at my mother’s heels in a mall when a woman came up to her and commended her on adopting all us children.
And here is a pic of the long-lost little bro “N” with sis, papa, and me
And, one last pic of “C” with my mom….the funny thing is she could pass as his mom more than my own!
And, there you have it my family in a nutshell! “C” has done a great job adjusting to my family and I am so glad they didn’t scare him away. We can only look forward to the years to come when each sibling starts their own family….we are going to need one really really long table at Thanksgiving!
Did you fear how your fiancé would adjust to your family? What is your family like? Did the apple fall far from the tree?
OK so I found one more semi-decent pic of most of the family..this is from my graduation a couple years ago:
Lace in Your Face Part III: I love lace…on undergarments! January 28, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Color Palette, Design, Details, Garter, lace.6 comments
Yup, yup, yup, you heard right….I love lace on my underoos!! But, that’s not exactly what this post is about….I am not talking about any ole undergarments (undergarments…sounds like Grammy talking). I am talking about those lovely wedding related underthingies. You know, those very pretty, ever so delicate looking pieces of fabric wrapped around many a bride’s thigh. Yup, I am talking about the garter!! I am still not sure how I feel about the whole garter toss, but I love myself a garter and it will be a must have (especially if it has lace!).
Check this one out from Etsy Seller Garter Lady
And this drool worthy je t’aime lace garter by Etsy Seller florriemitton
and even better from the same seller the “forever lace garter”
and here’s another pretty one from Garter Lady
What do you think? C’est tres chic, non? J’aime le “je t’aime” tres beaucoup , mais mon favorite est “the forever lace”. Please pardon my French, it’s been years since I have had to conjugate a verb or write coherently…I couldn’t help myself though, these vintage beauties make me want to pucker my lips and parle en francais!! But, there is a le sigh moment.
The sigh part comes when you look at the price of these delicate gals…they cost anywhere from $60-75 and I can’t justify spending that much on something that could get tossed and trampled. But, what I can justify is making it myself. I highly doubt it will be a difficult task and would assume the results should be nothing short of fantabulous!
Have any of you decided to make your own garter? Was it as easy a task as you had imagined? Anyone else think it’s ridiculous how much the mark-up on garters is?
Wedding Weightloss: Workout Wednesdays January 27, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in 5k, Fitness, Life, Wedding Weightloss.2 comments
Guess what time it is? It’s WWWW time!! Last week I decided I would add weekly updates on my workout regime and I am going to deliver!
Wednesday: January 20, 2010
Treadmill: Run/Walk 37 min Incline Level 1
- 10.06 min/ 1 mile @ 6.0 mph
- 10.06-14 min/.25 mile @ 4.0 mph
- 14-19 min/ .50 mile @ 6.0 mph
- 19-24 min/.25 mile @ 4.o mph
- 24-28 min/ .50 mile @ 6.0 mph
- 28-32 min/ .25 mile @4.0 mph
- 32-35.20 min/ .35 mile @ 6.0 mph
- 35.20-42 min/ .40 miles @ 3.8-4.0 mph
Total Time: 42 min, Total Calories: 494.5, Total Distance: 3.5 miles (avg. speed=5.0mph)
Thursday: January 21, 2010
OFF DAY
Friday: January 22, 2010
I met one of my goals today!!! (Run for 20 min w/out a walk interval)
Treadmill: Laps (~12laps=5k) Run/Walk Intervals
- -20.15 mins/2 miles @ 5.8-6.0 mph
- 20.15-24.10 min/ .25 miles @ 3.8 mph
- 24.10-26.40 min/ .25 miles @ 6.0-6.2 mph
- 26.40-30.21 min/ .25 miles @ 3.8-4.2 mph
- 30.21-33.38 min/ .35 miles @ 6.0-7.0 mph
- 33.38-35 min/ .10 miles @ 4.0
- 35-40 min/ X miles (cool down) @ 4.0 mp
Total Time: 40 min, Total Calories: 501.9, Total Distance: 3.53 miles (avg. speed=5.3mph)
Bike using the Expresso Fitness bikes on Alpine Splash Tour
- Time: 12.10 min
- Distance: 2.93 miles
- Calories Burned: 136
Saturday: January 23, 2010
1 Hour Zumba Fitness Class
Sunday: January 24, 2010
1 crazy intense hour of BodyCombat
“BODYCOMBAT™ is the empowering cardio workout where you are totally unleashed. This fiercely energetic program is inspired by martial arts and draws from a wide array of disciplines such as Karate, boxing, Taekwondo, Tai Chi and Muay Thai. Supported by driving music and powerful role model instructors strike, punch, kick and kata your way through calories to superior cardio fitness.”
I seriously recommend that you try this class if it’s offered near you. It is very intense and it left my muscles sore until today. The class is fun and easy enough to follow (which means a lot because I can be very uncoördinated) and the instructor really pushes you through it.
Monday: January 25, 2010
OFF DAY
Tuesday: January 26, 2010
Another Awesome PR breaking day!! I ran for 25 mins without stopping!! GO ME!!
Treadmill: 5K Run/Walk intervals
- 25 mins/ 2.48 miles @ 6.0 mph
- 25-28.45 mins/ .27 miles @ 4.0 mph
- 28.45-31.57/ .35 miles @ 6.0-7.2 mph
- 31.57-36.57 min/ 5 min cool down @ 4-4.2
Total Time: 36.57 min, Total Calories: 495.5, Total Distance: 3.44 miles (avg. speed=5.5mph)
Bike using the Expresso Fitness bikes on Quicksilver Tour
- Time: 24.56 min
- Distance: 6.33 miles
- Calories Burned: 250
There it is folks…my weekly workout in review! I am pretty darn impressed with how things went and am glad I made up for the days I missed. I still can’t believe I was able to get through the 25 minutes of running without an interval break! How did your workout week go? Were you able to meet any of y0ur short-term goals?
PS…I was just thinking this post could get old pretty quick and that maybe I should think about reformatting it. What do you think? Would it be better to just have a WWWW Workout of the Week where I feature either a new workout or a great workout I had? I don’t want to bore you ladies, but I also want to keep you in the loop if you want to follow along. Let me know what you think
Flashback in time….hair yesterday gone today… January 26, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Hair, Wedding Planning.9 comments
With 8 months to go until my wedding day, I can’t help but think of how much I have hair regret. See, the thing is I tend to have phases with my hair length. I let it get pretty darn long and oh so pretty until I get tired of it being long and then chop! chop! chop! Unfortunately, this cycle began again in late 2008 and I kept cutting it short up until engagement day. (Oh crap I just noticed a typo!! where I typed Dec. 2009 it should be 2008) Ok, so ignore the typo and pretend it says Dec. 2008 (I am too lazy to fix this right now). Anyhow, my hair right now is in the process of growing out and let me tell you it feels like a process!! My hair does grow fairly quickly, but at the moment I feel like it is growing at a snail’s pace and shoulder length just won’t do. I want my long and lovely hair back and I want it back now!! I have so many “I wish” moments I could start my own wishing well.
I think what has made waiting very difficult is the fact that I kinda have a little deadline to meet here. Literally, I have 8 months to go or should I say 8 months to grow! And being the worry wart that I am I can’t help but think I won’t come close to the deadline. You can call me crazy and hair obsessed or you can blame it on the wedding industry. But, the truth is I always loved having long flowy hair and I really do miss it! I always imagined myself getting married with my long locks in loose romantic curls. I even thought about putting the wedding off for another year just so I would be sure my hair had plenty of time to grow.
Sigh….as you know I won’t be waiting another year and that leaves me with a few options.
- Leave it be and let it grow
- Take supplements to aid in growth
- Use hair extensions on the big day
- Pull on my hair every night and force it out!
I likely will just let it grow on its own and will only use extensions as a last resort. I know I could also change how I want to do my hair…I am thinking I could possibly get away with something like this:
Or like this:
But, what I really like/want is something like this:
or this
Do you have hair regret like me? Are you wishing you had long lovely locks for all those pretty dos? What lengths will you go to to get the locks you love?
Lace in Your Face Part II: I love lace….on wedding invites! January 22, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Color Palette, Crafting, Design, Details, Invite, Wedding Planning, lace.4 comments
In my last Lace in Your Face post I showed you some lovely lacey cakes that I couldn’t help but drool over. In part II of this series I want to show you all the oh so pretty lace detailed wedding invites I have come across.
Check out these pretty pink lace invites from B Studio Wedding Invitations
or the very sexy black lace ones they have
And how about this gorgeous one by Ceci New York
or these oh so pretty Vera Wang ones
Aren’t they all just so drool worthy? I love the vintage and elegant vibe they have going for them. What do you think? Is my lace obsession rubbing off on you yet?
Yudu?? I don’t, but I will get to soon!!! January 22, 2010
Posted by bluebutterfly10 in Crafting, Design, Invite, Screen printing, Yudu.2 comments
Shortly after becoming engaged, I became obsessed with a little wedding blogging site you may have heard of, WeddingBee. It was the happiest unintended wedding site find I could have made. I found myself drawn to the DIY goodness of bloggers’ featured weddings and was inspired and reassured I could do the same with my wedding.
I had always envisioned DIYing as many aspects to my wedding as possible, but feared that in the end it would look too crafty. I loved the thought of designing and printing my own invites, but fear I would miss out on the pro-quality. That is until I heard about a neat device called the Gocco, which is basically a mini at home screen printing kit. Unfortunately, the Gocco was discontinued and with supplies becoming scarce it wouldn’t be the best investment. I felt like my dreams were crashing to the floor. That was until I came across Miss Duckling’s post about this great new gadget called Yudu! It could be the perfect answer to DIYing my own invites and I am very excited to say I finally ordered mine yesterday!!!
I have heard a lot of pros and cons regarding the machine, but am confident with the new finer screen I won’t be running into too many issues.
I found these pros and cons most often:
Pros:
- it is convenient
- it has a large print area
- you can reuse the screens
- you can use other suppliers inks to save on cost
Cons:
- it does take up space
- refill supplies can get pricey
- fine detail may not come through on paper (though the new finer 220 mesh screen is supposed to solve this)
- you need to make sure to follow the directions precisely
I haven’t listed all the pros or cons I have come across and am pretty optimistic that this will be the wonder product everyone is raving about. My optimism has been reassured after seeing a few Yudu created projects:
From Erin Bassett’s Blog: Printed on cardstock using the 110 screen
And here is another example of work from J. Caroline’s blog
and these great Save the Date Hankies featured on Style Me Pretty
I am pretty darn excited to see what I can do with the Yudu!! Have you found yourself indulging on crafting equipment for DIY wedding projects? Did you find your purchases were worth the $$$? Do you Yudu? Are you just as excited as I am to see what I can come up with?
