MIA

I know I have been totally MIA! and I apologize
Alot is going on

• Started back to school-Masters program in HR here I come (What am I thinking starting back to school while wedding planning!!)
• Lots of things have been booked for the wedding
• Updates to come soon, with pics (including completed Save the Dates, Wedding Bunting, etc)

Will post soon!

xooxo

Swoon.....

Happy Day Everyone! Some things I have been loving/obsessing over this past week- will I ever get sick of stalking wedding blogs & sites? I think not!

Have a great weekend.

1. Lawn Games- wouldn't it be fun to have these at the cottage? I love this idea!

2. Chinese lanterns- these can work wonders! As displayed in this outdoor wedding- love them!

3. Lemonade and cookies- such a cute idea- and so simple! Love it!

4. Love these banners- this is one of the DIY projects I will be sending my mom to help me out with, while she is stuck inside during the LONG Michigan winter!

5. Mix match bridesmaid dresses- so cute! Love that they went with a color scheme and everyone has different patterns- so cute! My girls are all wearing a different color dress- Will blog about it shortly.

Have a great week! Its going to be a hot one here!

Its about time for some DIY

As the namesake of my blog, it is about time I get to some DIY wedding projects! The first one up on the list that I tackled was moss wedding initials. These little gems will look perfect on one of the buildings at the cottage. I can’t wait to hang them up.

Here are the steps to the process.

1. Gather all of the tools you need. For me I used the following items
-Knife
-Green Styrofoam I found this at Michaels. If you get pink or white Styrofoam you can spray paint the Styrofoam green
-Template for initials, or you can just eyeball it (I did)
-Black sharpie marker to draw initials
-Sand paper
-Spray adhesive
-Green Spanish Moss (from Michaels)
-Ribbon to hang initials

2. Draw initials on Styrofoam; make sure both initials are the same size (I used a ruler for this)

3. Start cutting out initials, the Styrofoam I used was thick! So cutting it with the small knife was a little tricky- thus the very large knife in my pictures, lol

4. Once you have the initials cut out how you want them, use sandpaper to smooth down the edges, and fix and imperfections.

5. Spray initials with adhesive, and start packing on the moss. Make sure you get the entire front of the initials; including the insides- otherwise it will look weird.

6. Secure a ribbon to each initial to hang!

A few notes- the adhesive is STICKY (duh) and I put the moss on the initials outside. The moss makes a huge mess, and cleaning it up, with the spray adhesive everywhere is not an easy task! This project was very easy- and fun! Good Luck!

3 day weekend!

I am so excited! It is a 3 day weekend! woo hoo!!

Should be alot of fun, and relaxation this weekend- even some wedding crafts thrown in. We will be going to a friends wedding this weekend up north-pictures to come on Tuesday.

Also, I will be posting my moss initials that I made for the wedding- so fun!

Enjoy your LONG weekend, and savor every second of it!
xoxo

These 8 words

Communication.

Respect.

Honesty.

Maturity.

Acceptance.

Tolerance.

Humility.

Compromise.

equal a successful marriage

thoughts?

My heart

You know that thought that hits you, and puts a big smile on your face- that just happened to me. It’s the small things in life that mean so much. Getting a text from Phil that says just three words I LOVE YOU means more to me then anything else. I can be sitting at work not wanting to be there, then I will get a random text or email that says those 3 words, and I instantly have a big smile on my face- and can face the entire world.

This to me is how I know this wedding is the real deal. All of this hard work, sacrifice of time and resources to plan the wedding, will all be worth it the day that I get to walk down the aisle and marry the man who is my best friend, and the giver of much more then I could ever ask for.

Thank you Phil for saying those 3 words to me at the times when I need to hear them the most- how do you always know? I promise to never take them for grated.

ever.
xoxo

picture source- http://leloveimage.blogspot.com/2009/08/learn-to-say-i-love-you.html

Cupcakes..Please!

Oh Martha you have done it again! These little gem of a cupcake are adorable! http://www.marthastewart.com/article/lollipop-cupcakes

I would absolutely love to make these for a family BBQ, or for a shower or even at the wedding! I love these sprinkles that come in all different colors. I wish I had a huge kitchen where I could keep sprinkles in all different colors at all times- don't sprinkles just make everything better?
Happy Friday everyone! Tomorrow I am off dress shopping with my sister (MOH) and Melissa (bridesmaid) Should be fun! Updates to follow

Photographer search complete!

I am so excited to share with you our photographer! Since switching our wedding plans, and moving the wedding from California to Michigan, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to find a photographer that I was in love with- which I have no proved to be wrong!

When searching the internet from my computer in California for wedding photographers in Michigan- I was looking for something that was a little different, not so cookie cutter. I started getting a little frustrated- then I typed in these magic words into Google photojournalist photographer Grand Rapids area and voila, all of my searching came to an end.

I had found our photographer Melissa! Her company is called Telltale photography. http://telltalephotography.com/ She is located in Lansing, MI which isn’t too far from our wedding location. Once I found her site, I started going through her photos of past weddings and engagement sessions, and I knew it was meant to be! This is exactly what I was looking for. After contacting Melissa, and chatting with her on the phone, I knew even more that it was perfect. We instantly clicked. Her and her husband both went to Ohio State (Phil is a huge Ohio State fan) and her personality was amazing!

I am so thrilled that I was able to find a great photographer, and not have to settle for something less then what I really wanted! I am so excited to work with Melissa

Check out some of these great shots!

http://telltalephotography.com/

Inspired!

I ran across this great post on the http://www.nicholsblog.com/ http://thenicholsblog.com/2009/08/09/amy-greg/ and I was instantly inspired!

Now that we have decided to have the wedding at our family cottage, this post was exactly what I needed to see in order to get my mind in wedding cottage mode!

I am so in love with all of the colors! It is amazing how it all comes together. I have already decided awhile back that I wanted to do the Martha Stewart paper flowers that are all the rage on various blogs, but now I am going to do the big versions too! So we will have these flowers hanging from the ceiling from the tent, and as napkin holders- yay!
Also, can you believe how gorgeous these flowers are? I mean O-M-G I love them! I love this natural wildflower look, and the cottage is a perfect venue to pull this off!
Now after seeing this, I love the idea of having different color bridesmaid dresses. It looks great with all of these bright colors.

I am still going to use many items I already have purchased to go with the original red and aqua theme, but incorporate more colors into my theme. I can even use the aqua mason jars that everyone has been collecting for me!

Seeing that post has definitely affirmed our decision to have the wedding at the cottage. Now we can make all of our color dreams come true!

All images from http://www.nicholsblog.com/

BIG Change of plans

We’ll there has been a lot going on in the last month or so. The original wedding location in San Clemente has been scratched. What I thought was going to be an affordable location, turned out to be not-so-affordable (at least for us) After adding on all of the fees, permits, etc The cottage that was once oh-so affordable, because instantly unaffordable. So that began the search for a new venue. I think I knew all along that the new venue would always end up being our wedding location, but I had to first go through all of the other options in my head, and on paper before we came to a decision.

So with that being said, we have decided that our new wedding venue is….

The family lake cottage in Michigan!

This place has been a part of my life literally since the day I was born. It has been in our family for 120 years, so it has it share of family memories, traditions, and parties. Although I think this could be the 1st wedding at the cottage- which is amazing! I feel so good and at peace with this decision. I feel as though it is right, and my heart is telling me that. Everything so far is falling into place! From rentals, to catering, to the wonderful photographer I have found (more to come on that later).

I thought that planning a wedding from a distance would be super stressful and not manageable, but so far so good. I am hoping that it continues that way. With having a place so special to Phil and I as our wedding venue, everything will work out just fine!
Have any of you planned a wedding from over 2,000 miles away? Any pointers you can give are appreciated!

OMG Venue Freak out

O-M-G that is all I have to say
Why can't I have unlimited funds of money being thrown at me
That would make this all so much easier
But I dont
So I will continue to search
for the perfect venue

Wish me luck!

Out of town engagement party

Engagement party recap

OMG what a whirlwind trip to Michigan-I know you didn’t think that Michigan could be associated with the word whirlwind but for me it does!

I had such an AMAZING trip to Michigan. I love being back home, and being with all of the people who know me the best, and I can be completely myself with, because most of these people I have known my entire life. I have one friend and bridesmaid who I have been friends with sine Kindergarten- now not many people can say that!

My soon to be bridesmaids threw Phil and I a fantastic Engagement party- it was so great! My friend Kylee and her husband Mike were the gracious hosts. They had everything set up, from incorporating our wedding colors into everything, great food, drinks, and of course the company!

Kylee had everyone bring a bottle of wine, and write a message to Phil and I on the bottle. It was such a great idea! Lugging the bottles back to California was not a problem at all! I put most of them in my luggage, and left some bottles for my mom to ship (or drink, lol). The girls also planned a pre-newlyweed game, in which Phil and I had to answer questions about each other- some of the questions are things we have not thought about in awhile (first movie you saw together, and some other funny ones) So it was a super fun game!

This party was so fantastic. I was so overcome with emotion that I cried a few times. One of those times being when I saw my friend Sarah (see above mention friend since Kindergarten) who flew all of the way from Texas. This was a total surprise, and the sheer generosity of all of it was way too much for this emotional girl to handle! Also, Melissa my only other fellow California girl flew out for the event- wow I have some amazing friends!

The party was also the night of my 30th Birthday (yes- 30! I guess I am considered an old maid bride) So Kylee went all out with a Birthday cake with the Big 3-0 written on it, which I again proceeded to cry due to the emotion of it all.

All in all this night was so special to Phil and me. I cannot thank all of my friends enough for putting it together.
Thank you to-

Kylee & Mike- the gracious host and hostess with the mostess- thank you for all of your hard work!

Lori, Sarah, Mis, Lin, and little Kortney J for setting up this amazing event and coordinating!

Heidi- for the Duggens chicken wings- this little surprise was amazing

And Phil for being the most amazing fiancé that I could ask for- I am so excited to marry you!

Thank you again for a fantastic evening!

4th of July festivities

I wanted to share my most favorite place in the entire world, and where I will be spending my 30th Birthday! This place is so special to me, my families cottage in Michigan.
The cottage has been in our family for 120 years- yes 1-2-0! I literally spent my first few days on earth at this place, that is why I feel like I have such a connection with it. I have spent EVERY birthday since I was born at the cottage (with the exception of the last two due to family circumstances)
I am so excited to head here for a nice week of rest, relaxation, and family!

Also, my wonderful bridesmaids are throwing us an engagement party on Friday- which just so happens to be my 30th Birthday- should be a pretty amazing time! I cannot wait.

Here are some pics of the magical cottage- enjoy your 4th of July activities!

Take my picture

I am super psyched about our wedding photographer. I have heard so many great things about here- check her out yourself on her blog Hazelnut Photography I love her style, and think that she will be perfect!
Photography is THE most important part of the wedding to me. Booking Jordana was one of the first things I did. I saw her blog while stalking another wedding blog, and knew I had to have her for our wedding! And even though we have a teensy tiny budget, Jordana fit into this perfect!
So check out her site, and let the magic unfold! Hazelnut Photography

Some things I am loving

Here are some things I am loving this week!

source-project wedding

Love this idea- Having different soda bottles lined up at the reception- a Soda bar! And this would give a shout-out to my hometown fav- Faygo!

Source- can't remember I think wedding bee

Love this different fruit infused drinks. This would be great as a wedding reception drink. Now I just have to find the glass jars- any ideas?

source- with this ring

OMG LOVE this! Love the vintage look, and the flowers all grouped together by color- this is awesome! and very diy-able!

Source- can't remember!

OMG I love this- vintage postcards lined up- so great! I think I will do this but with pictures- love it!

source- wedding bee

Love the wood signs with paint- great idea

Have a happy pre- 4th of July weekend!

Budget Talk

The words wedding budget ring in my head almost daily. While trying to put together a wedding, the budget plays a key role in this process. Although our budget is small compared to other weddings, especially in our area, for us I think it is going to work out just right. Although it is easy to get caught up in wedding media mania, I am trying not to get obsessed about having all of the perfect details for our day. Instead I will keep planning, keep diy-ing, and make our day something that reflects what we both want, instead of what the world tells us to want :)

I read this post on a practical wedding today- it was from a reader. For me this post spoke directly to me- and I had to share it.

Love & Choice & Power
Long time reader Erica sent me an email with these words:
A Practical Wedding has helped me to keep my sister sane as she is planning her wedding. I feel like every wedding conversation I have with her starts with her seriously stressing over something silly like whether it's okay for her fiance to have a different number of groomsmen than she has bridesmaids, and ends with me telling her that there are no rules she needs to follow in planning her wedding. She can do whatever she wants.

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I got engaged. Then the barrage of questions started and the input on how we should do things began. Instead of stressing me out, they just rolled right off of my back. I know the questions and demands will only get worse, and not everyone will be happy with the non-traditional choices we make for our wedding, but now that I know there is a whole army of people out there who agree with me, and support our right to do things our way, it's not so hard to take other people's unhappiness with our decisions.

Which brings motivated me to get down on paper something I've been wanting to say about wedding planning for a long time.First of all, lets not kid ourselves, for most of us wedding planning can be tough. There are days when nothing seems right, when everyone has an opinion, when life events make this party you are planning seem so small, when you can't figure out how to afford things, when vendors are flat out horrible to you. There will be those days. And those days are normal.But for me, in the end, wedding planning has turned out to be all about making choices. It's about claiming the life that you want in the middle of a world that is telling you about the life that you should have.

Let me say this loud and clear: No one can tell you how to live, and you pick the life you want. A marriage is, in many ways, the one of the few times in our lives when we make a big conscious decision about who we are, and what we want, and who we love. And, as much as people view love as magic, love and choice all mixed up together are a powerful powerful brew, and people are scared by it.So they'll tell you that you need to wear a big poufy dress, or have a steak dinner, or throw a garter, and and and and and. But you don't. And you shouldn't trust people who say you need X to have a wedding, just like you shouldn't trust people who say you can't have X to have a wedding.

You shouldn't trust people who tell you how much or how little you need to spend, or what you need to wear, or the vows you need to make.If I've learned one thing planning this wedding, its this: The times that you say 'NO, that is not who we are, that is not what we want' will be vastly overpowered by the times you say 'YES YES YES, this is who we are, this is what we want, this is how we live'.Be true to yourself, fearlessly claim the life you want. That's it. That's all. That's the solution to this puzzle.

wedding location-unleashed!

Well when FI and I first got engaged, we knew that we did not want a cookie cutter type wedding for lots of reasons, including the most important-we did not want to break the bank on our big day~

So we started searching, and searching until we ran across this little hidden gem right in one of our favorite beach towns- The cottage in San Clemente. It is perfect for the following reasons

• Close to our house
• In our price range
• We can bring in our own vendors which saves a ton of $$ right away!
• Right on the beach

Also the location is absolutely perfect- right on the beach! I am so excited to make his baby our own!

Here is some eye candy for our fab wedding location!

I apoligize for my lack of posting! Alot has been going on in this DIY girls life!

-Wedding Date Change (its a good thing) Since we are getting married by the beach, the thought of June weather (in So. Cal known as June gloom) was making me have nightmares. So we pushed the date back to the end of July 2010.

- A minor surgery- I am doing a-ok!

-And my parent's have been living with us, and now moving back home (sad face)

So with that being said, I did have time to go flip flop shopping for old navy's $1 flip flop sale a few weekends ago! I recruited all of our visitors which included my soon to be mother in law, and we loaded up on flip flops that are close to our wedding colors. It was fun! We literally ran into old navy at 8 am, and got a ton- around 35 pairs of so! I can't wait to use this idea that I found on wedding bee for the wedding.

But I am back! I promise.